Spellbound Destiny
by My Love Inuyasha
Summary: After Kagome's seventeenth birthday, her mother has decided it is time for her daughter to take her place as Avaren's rightful ruler. The only way to do this is to make Kagome marry a youkai lord. She has one week to find a husband and finds love as well.
1. Prologue: Discovery

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Only Takahashi Rumiko has that right. ^_^

Pronunciations:

Avaren – Aa*var*in (a as in apple, var like far but with a v)

Haedai – Hay*dye

**Spellbound Destiny**

**Prologue: Discovery**

The full moon shimmered blood red in the reflection off the lake, mirroring the color of cold eyes. Naraku stood by and waited for the right time to act. Just a little bit longer and he'd have it, the power he had always dreamed of: the Shikon no Tama.

After looking for forty-four years, he had finally found it again. The key had been in the miko Kikyou's family blood line. Once he had found her all those years ago, it had been easy to taint her and thus taint the Shikon no Tama that resided in her care. She was suppose to purify it but instead, as Kikyou's heart became corrupt, so too did the Shikon no Tama. Until, that is, his carefully laid plans had been ruined on the unaccounted for hanyou. That damn hanyou had interrupted the process only a few short months after it had begun.

Naraku's right fist clenched at the remembrance. At least the offending inu hanyou got what he deserved. Naraku smiled cruelly with satisfaction. The inu hanyou had been played for a fool once Naraku found out about him. Naraku had manipulated Kikyou into believing she wished the hanyou dead and made her attack him.

That plan hadn't work out as well as he had intended either. But though the inu hanyou wasn't dead, he was sealed on a tree, forever locked in a time bubble where age, sickness and death could not touch him. It was just as good as dead. The only one who could unseal him was Kikyou or another miko just as, if not more, powerful than her. And that wasn't going to happen. In her over zealous fight with hanyou, Kikyou died from a grave injury to her chest and subsequent loss of blood. No one as powerful as her had been born since her death. Not even a decedent of her's.

Naraku's eyes narrowed. His vision blurred and only his memories appeared before him, the scene of her death clearly imprinted forever in his mind. Again, his plan had been thwarted. On her last dying breath, Kikyou wished her family to burn the Shikon no Tama with her body so nothing could touch it ever again. Naraku lost his chance to get it with her death. The damn bitch had struggled through his corruption at the last minute and tried to redeem herself. Now he was stuck out in the dark, hiding himself from his enemies whiling he searched for where the Shikon no Tama would reappear and planning how to get it instead of basking in the glory of his power.

But that would soon change. The cruel smile returned to his face. It was a good thing he had stumbled onto that black miko only two years after Kikyou's death or he never would have figured it out. Because of her wishes, the Shikon no Tama would reappear in the body of one of Kikyou's descendants. In the Royal House of Avaren. This young woman would possess strong miko powers and a pure soul. The black miko could feel it. Something as powerful as the Shikon no Tama could not leave this world alone. And he believed that descendant had finally been born into the world. She was still just a child, easily taken away from her protectors and corrupted.

Naraku looked up at the sky and watched as the moon finally took its place at its zenith. The time was right for him to move. He called out to the surrounding army of youkai and began the attack.

Mayhem ensued as the inhuman screams, screeches and growls followed his command in pure ecstasy. Blood-lust took over and lent a hand to their cruelty. Naraku grinned happily at the beginnings of the carnage. Any one who stood in his way would die.

O o O o O o O o O

Higurashi Yuichi pulled Mitsuko, his wife, to him as they gazed over the back gardens. The moon shown with a deep and eerie red, almost like blood, down on the couple. It made Mitsuko shiver with foreboding.

"Anata, something doesn't feel right," Mitsuko whispered to her husband.

"What do mean, koishii?"

"I'm not sure. That moon doesn't feel right. The color reminds me of blood and feels so wrong. Maybe we should check on the children?" Mitsuko turned as if to go inside their palace.

Yuichi stopped her with a hand on her arm. "They should be fine, koishii. It is an ominous sign but nothing is wrong. There hasn't been a war in years and the people are prospering. Come, lets-" Yuichi was cut off by the sound of a shoji door. Small pattering footsteps followed and then a small head covered in blue-black hair which framed wide chocolate brown eyes peeked out of the shoji leading to the gardens.

"Mama, I had a bad dream," came a shy whisper from the small girl. Mitsuko looked at her eleven year old daughter with clouded eyes. Kagome had a strange sixth sense about any misfortune that was about to occur. She hoped this was not one of those times.

Mitsuko walked towards her daughter. She bent in the intent to pick Kagome up and comfort her when inhuman cries echoed around them. They were followed shortly after by very human screams, some cut off in mid scream, silenced no doubt due to death in some form or fashion.

Mitsuko grabbed Kagome to her and gazed at her husband wildly. She asked with her eyes what she should do. Yuichi gestured to his lips in a sign for silence. After Mitsuko placed her hand firmly over Kagome's mouth, Yuichi gestured to the right most side of their room. Mitsuko nodded her understanding and rushed for the hidden door that led to a secret passage to the wing her children slept in. She knew the plan her husband wanted her to enact. She was to head for her youngest child, Souta, and take both her children out of the palace to the meeting place Yuichi had secured that only their family and a select few of their personal guard knew of. It was their only hope of being safe..

On silent feet, she made her way to the hidden door. Worry clouded her mind. Yuichi was strong, a true warrior with a kind heart, but whatever creatures made those cries were not human and did not posses a human heart of mercy or kindness. She believed they were youkai. It was the only explanation for why Kagome was affect by a bad dream only moments before the attack. Her senses were always much sharper when youkai intended harm to them than just a normal human. Mitsuko hoped with all her heart that Yuichi would be alright.

Yuichi watched his wife and daughter walk through the secret passage with intent eyes. Only after they were gone did he then grab his katana that lay against the wall. It was his job to distract the monsters outside his room until the ones he loved could reach their meeting place.

With his katana secure in his hand, Yuichi ran out of his bedroom, turned left and skidded to a halt. He stared in disbelief. The two guards who had patrol duty in the western wing of the palace hallways had been massacred.

One guard's head lay three feet away from his body, his intestines spilling out from a horrible gut wound, an arm thrown against a wall so hard it had wedged itself into the wall from a hole the hand had created. Blood coated the walls like paint.

The other guard was far worse off. His eyes had been eaten out of their sockets, his legs pulled out of his body and thrown towards the ceiling with such force that the stringy masses of the muscles from his thighs dangled, torn and shredded, to drip blood onto the floor. Neither death had been painless and he felt sorry for their horrific end.

Yuichi, though a seasoned warrior, had never seen carnage like this before. Whatever the creatures were, they had one thing on their minds: total annihilation. No one would be spared.

He turned his head away from the blood sight, tears in his eyes, and tried to hold back the bile that rose up in his throat. At the same time, Yuichi saw a trail of blood that lead to the eastern part of the castle. His children's rooms were in the eastern wing. His eyes widened in horror and he ran from the western hallway in a direct path following the path of blood.

Rounding a corner right before Souta's room, Yuichi saw a beast bash in the delicate paper shoji doors. The thing was huge, a giant, with eerie green glowing skin. Two horns adorned his head while giant four fingered hands topped off with claws were coated in blood and fiery hooves left distinct foot prints in burned wood. A snake like tail slithered back and forth as the beast scented the air, slowly turning his head to meet Yuichi.

Yuichi took a slow step, held his breath, and hoped that the beast had not noticed his wife or children so close by. A scrap of light caught his eye in the periphery of his vision, a light of gold shot through with orange ending in red. The colors of Mitsuko's yukata. His wife was still in the room, trying desperately to save their children.

Grabbing a firmer hold on his katana, Yuichi sounded a war cry to gain the full attention of the beast and lunged forward. The creature turned fully to face Yuichi, taking its attention from the room and lifted up a hand to bat away the offending katana. Yuichi managed to slash down on the creature but his katana seemed dull against the creature's skin. It managed only to make a tiny scratch on its arm. It wasn't even deep enough to draw blood.

Yuichi jumped back from the creature in wary surprise, and looked the creature over again. He tried to find a place, any place, on the creature's body that was its weakness. The monster did not give him much time. It took the initiative and slashed his own claws against Yuichi's upper chest. Yuichi wore no armor since he was in his own home and not expecting an attack. The monster's claws dug into Yuichi's thin flesh like a knife through butter. The force of the blow hurdled Yuichi through the air to land against the the wall at the end of the hallway. His hands released his katana to drop uselessly to the floor.

A sickening crack resounded throughout the hallway and blood began to drip down his face into his blurry deep brown eyes. The monster lumbered slowly to Yuichi and licked the blood off his claws. Yuichi slid to the floor and immediately tried to stand again, finding his katana on the way up. He gripped it desperately and lunged at the creature again. But his katana didn't even hit the monster. In defense, the monster raised his right arm and punched him through the stomach with his claws extended. Bone and organs were dragged out through Yuichi's back and his spinal cord was severed instantly.

Mitsuko covered her mouth to keep the instinctive cry silent, her eyes huge for her face and her skin pale as ash. Yuichi was dead. Shaking, she scrambled over to the hidden door on Souta's floor. The tears flowed unchecked from her sorrow filled coffee eyes. Unable to stop the tremors that wracked her frame, she closed the secret door and traveled through the stone tunnel to the point where she had left her children.

"Come, children, we must leave now," Mitsuko whispered to them, unmindful of her tears. Her heart was broken. Her love was dead and she wouldn't even be able to bury him in a proper grave.

"What about papa?" Kagome asked in confusion. She looked behind her mother to where the secret door should have been. It was too dark in the tunnel for her to see where the opening was now that it was closed.

"Papa...will meet us at our secret place," Mitsuko chocked out. She had to lie to her children to get them to go without him. "Come, we must hurry."

She bent down and picked Souta up. She knew his small little legs couldn't carry him the quick pace they would have to travel to get them to the safest location in the whole of Avaren.

Kagome slipped her hand into her mother's right one and looked up into her sad eyes. "Don't worry, mama. It'll be alright. I know it will." Kagome's confidence was somewhat reassuring. Mitsuko smiled wobbly at her daughter. She was grateful that Kagome had not suffered much from this tragic night.

"Yes, Kagome, you're right. It'll be alright. I have you and Souta with me. We can make it through this."

With a subtle resolve forming in her heart, Mitsuko tightened her hold on Kagome's hand and began to run down the rest of the tunnel. Her husband was gone, and she grieved desperately for that, but her children were still with her. She had to be strong to raise them as her husband had wanted. They would survive to fight another day, eventually, when her children were older and able.

O o O o O o O o O

Naraku stepped without a sound down the hallways of the Avaren Palace, unphased by the blood and body parts that painted such a macabre scene. His youkai companions kept themselves to the shadows as Naraku's anger increased with each step. He had specifically given orders to kill everyone except the young girl. The scents that kept wafting up to him allowed him to discern that three individuals had been left alive. Their scents were the only ones that didn't reek of death and decay. One was the girl he was after, the other two where related to her.

_Perhaps__ her __mother...and__ brother?_ Naraku thought and scented the air again. The three scents all converged in a single room where Yuichi, the father and ruler of Avaren, had been slain outside of. Stepping around the blood stains, Naraku walked into the room for a closer inspection. The scent trail ended abruptly by the wall to the right of him. He couldn't see anything amiss. He looked down at the floor, paying close attention to every detail. He tried to see if a trap door was hidden somewhere but the only lines he could discern were from the regular tatami matting.

He silently cursed the fates. The girl had gotten way. _However, __everything__ is__ not __lost. __I__ now __have __a __kingdom__ I __can __rule __over __and__ it's __resources __to __search __for __the __girl. __The __game__ is __still __on __and__ I__ will __have__ the __Shikon __no __Tama__ soon. __The __girl __can't __hide __forever. __She __will __show__ herself __and __when__ she__ does, __I'll __be __waiting._

Naraku chuckled to himself as he exited the room. He called for his more civilized youkai servants to clean up the palace. It was now his and he would take great pleasure in informing the people of Avaren they had a new King. His eyes shone deep wine red with his excitement. He had not thought to become King before the attack. Only the girl mattered. Now, things had changed. He had gained more power this night, a power he had never thought to try to obtain. At least, not _before_ he possessed the Shikon no Tama.


	2. Chapter 1: The Plan

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I do thank Takahashi Rumiko for creating both the manga and the anime. ^_^

Author's Note: In regards to Inuyasha's father, his name is never given and I instead refer to him as Inutaisho which is his title and means Great Dog Leader. It's used in the same way you would refer to a King as Your Highness or Your Majesty.

Pronunciations:

Avaren – Aa*var*in (a as in apple, var like far but with a v)

Haedai – Hay*dye

**Spellbound Destiny**

**Chapter 1: The Plan**

_6 Years Later_

Higurashi Mitsuko stared blindly at the cooking pot over the fire in her small but comfortable home. Six years had come and gone since the death of her husband at the hands of Naraku and his youkai army. Once she had reached the meeting place with her two children, she had found her father-in-law waiting for her. Together, they had set out on an abandoned path to the Kingdom of the West, Haedai. The inu youkai who ruled there had strict laws concerning youkai of other kingdoms but allowed any human seeking refuge safe passage into his kingdom. Mitsuko knew they would be safe there. It was the one place that the monster who had taken over Avaren could not touch without severe consequences.

At first, Mitsuko and her daughter had found jobs as cooks in a high end brothel. Jii-chan and Souta helped out by doing odd jobs like mending walls and cutting wood. It was hard work but necessary for them to continue to live somewhat peacefully. Mitsuko did not regret her decision to work as a common person. Especially when she considered that only the high nobles of the other kingdoms knew what she and her family looked like. The commoners had no such knowledge.

Slowly, as they worked, news from their former home trickled into Haedai. It was disheartening to hear the atrocities that Naraku enforced. He executed people for the slightest infraction of his laws and let his youkai servants run rampant and unchecked over the land.

A year after keeping a low profile, a young lord from the Hojo family paid a visit to the brothel. After tasting one bite of Mitsuko's food, the young lord knew he had to have Mitsuko become his new cook. Leaving the brothel wasn't hard. Mitsuko strongly believed a brothel was no place for children to be raised in but had had no other choice when she first arrived in Haedai.

Things were quiet and content after that. Until now. Mitsuko shook herself out of her reverie. Kagome's seventeenth birthday had just past a few days ago, and, though she seemed to be quite happy living as a servant to the Hojo family, Kagome was royalty and the _true_ heir to Avaren. The rumors that streamed in from Avaren were heart breaking and the violence was only escalating. It was finally time to act. Kagome was of age now. She could be married to one of the many strong youkai lords here in Haedai to secure an alliance. With that alliance, an army could be formed that would fight for Avaren's safe return to her rightful ruler.

Strengthening her resolve, Mitsuko waited for her daughter to arrive home. She would need it for her daughter to accept her plan.

O o O o O o O o O

Kagome shaded her eyes and stepped out of the servant's entrance to the kitchen. Even though the sun was setting, the light was still bright for the beginnings of winter. She gazed longingly at the sky, wishing she could be anywhere else other than at the Hojo estate. A field full of flowers perhaps? Or a lake, shining with the colors of the setting sun? Or maybe a hot spring to relax her body? Kagome sighed dejectedly. Even a small farm on the outskirts of some small unknown village would have been better than this sprawling estate.

Most of the servants were fine, and she had even found three other girls around her age that she could call friends. They were daughters of other servants who worked at the estate. But each day was tiring. Not so much physically for she loved the physical labor of cooking and creating something for others to enjoy and feeling her muscle ache in response to her heartfelt effort. No, it was mental taxation. The young lord's distant cousin had come to stay at the estate two years ago. Since then, Hojo had been "pursuing" Kagome in his own way.

He never blatantly said he was interested in her. He instead gave her strange gifts that were to preserve her health or some obscure cure for the common cold Kagome suffered from time to time. He was dense. Kind, but dense. Kagome had liked the attention at first, even encouraging Hojo to pursue her. But he was never bold, never tried to _do_ anything to her and never overstepped the bounds of propriety. He stayed the same, an unchanging block of wood.

Kagome shook her head, scattering her miserable thoughts, and started to walk down the path to her house. Not paying attention to what was in front of her, Kagome ran into someone. Warm hands settled on her arms then quickly moved away. She looked up to see Hojo, a blush suffused his skin and staring at anything but her face.

"Hojo-kun?" Kagome asked. She darted her head in the directions his own head went in an attempt to get the boy to look up at her instead of the ground or a bug that had landed on a pretty wild flower.

"Higurashi-san, I...have...something," Hojo stuttered and patted his clothes in an tempt to find some gift. "Ah, here it is." Hojo beamed up at Kagome while holding a dried frog leg out to her. "I bought this from a passing merchant who said that if you steep this in water and make a tea, it will cue muscle aches."

Kagome stared at the shriveled piece of leg and blinked. "Um...arigatou, Hojo-kun." She was unsure of what else to say to him. He took her hand and placed the dried frog leg into it then covered the top with her other hand.

"I hope this helps you to relax. I know sometimes the work in the kitchens can be difficult." Hojo quickly released her hands and dropped his own to his sides. He started to fidget nervously.

"Is there something else, Hojo-kun?"

"I was wondering...do you...want to go to the festival in the village? With me, I mean." He shyly looked up at Kagome, blushed and bit his bottom lip.

Kagome smiled brightly at him. He had finally asked her to _do_ something with him instead of just giving her gifts. "Sure, I'd love to."

"Great, I'll be by your house at sunset on your day off." Hojo beamed, truly glad she had accepted his offer. It had taken him so long just to get up the nerve to ask her, he had to get a medicinal remedy as an aid to start the conversation off right. With his head in the clouds, Hojo turned around and began to walk cheerily away from Kagome. She could already tell he was making plans as to what they would do at the festival.

Kagome blinked at his back, surprised he didn't even say goodbye but she guessed that he had thought she would turn down his offer. He must have been extremely happy. Shaking her head at what an oddity Hojo was, Kagome became aware of three very excited girls running towards her. They each wore big smiles on their faces. Ayumi, Yuka and Eri slid to a stop in front of her. They clasped her hands and looked at her with dreamy expressions.

"Well, well, what did Hojo-sama say?" Yuka asked in a rush.

"Did you say yes?" Eri followed up.

"What did Hojo-sama give you?" Ayumi asked. Yuka and Eri eyed Ayumi strangely, as if to say that that was the least of their worries for their friend.

"He asked me to go to the winter festival with him," Kagome answered nonchalantly.

"The winter festival?" Yuka yelled at the same time Eri yelled, "Did you accept?"

"Yes, the winter festival and yes I accepted." Kagome leaned away from the two as they grasped each other and hopped energetically, shouting with glee.

"I'm happy for you, Kagome," Ayumi said with a smile, excited but unwilling to get hysterical about it.

Kagome shook her head at her friends' antics. She loved them but sometimes Yuka and Eri tried to force her and Hojo together. Ayumi was respectful and polite about it, excited for Kagome but she also understood that Kagome wasn't sure Hojo was who she wanted to be with. "It's just a festival guys," Kagome admonished them. "It doesn't mean we are going to get married. Besides, Hojo is nice but there's something that's missing. I can't explain it but I just feel like there should be more to love than what Hojo and I have. And after two years, you would think there would be more to us than stammered greetings and strange medicinal gifts."

"Kagome, you don't have to love him. His a lord's distant cousin. He has money and social status, enough so that you could live comfortably and not have to cook anymore. Plus he's kind and gentle, not at all like some other men you hear about. He wouldn't abuse you," Eri explained exasperated. Yuka nodded adamantly. It was the same argument Eri brought up every time Kagome hedged around marrying Hojo.

Kagome sighed and shook her had, fed up with the same old argument. "Look, I have to get going. Mama is expecting me for dinner."

Her three friends let her go with a promise to give Hojo a chance at the festival to further their relationship. Yuka and Eri hoped that Hojo would propose during the new show that involved something called fireworks. After hearing what the show would be like, Yuka and Eri thought it the most romantic time for Hojo and Kagome to make it official. Of course, they would have to get Hojo's cousin's permission to marry but that was such a small obstacle, it didn't matter.

Kagome strolled down the path to her home, dazed. To her three friends, a guy like Hojo would be a dream catch. But Kagome hid a secret form everyone who knew her. Kagome was royalty. If she were in her own palace in Avaren, she would be expected to do much better than Hojo. A prince or, at the very least, a very high ranking lord. The laws of Avaren stated that the first born child ruled, regardless of gender. The man she would have been expected to marry would have been king upon the completion of their marriage vows. She would have been crowned Queen of Avaren a few days ago, on her seventeenth birthday. If Naraku hadn't destroyed her family, she would be living in the palace, her father would still be alive and life would be so much brighter.

She shook herself out of such thoughts. She knew thinking about what-ifs was useless. Instead, Kagome continued on her way home and daydreamed about what they would have for dinner.

Her daydreams disappeared the moment she moved the cloth door aside. Nothing in the last six years had prepared her for the serious look her mother gave her when she stepped across the threshold. Souta and Jii-chan were not sitting with her mother like they usually did for dinner.

"Kagome, sit and eat," her mother offered in a quiet command.

"Mama, what's wrong? Where's Souta and Jii-chan?" Kagome's brows creased in puzzlement.

"I have asked them to go to the market for a while. We need to talk Kagome." Her mother took a bowl and poured some of the stew from the pot into it. She handed the bowl to Kagome and sat back with her hands in her lap. "You are now seventeen, the legal age of when you would have taken the throne since your father's death six years ago. I know you remember that night like I do. Since we are not safe to return to Avaren yet, I have made the decision that we will seek help from the youkai lords here in Haedai."

Kagome stilled her hand halfway up to her mouth, dread forming in the pit of her stomach. Whatever her mother was about to say would not sit well with her. She slowly set the chopsticks down on the rim of the bowl and placed the bowl in front of her. After she had her hands firmly in her lap, she looked up into her mother's face. She saw the steely resolve it was set in and gulped silently.

Her mother continued. "Inutaisho is hosting his annual festival in two days and I have asked the Hojo family to allow us time off in order to go. I have saved enough money to buy you the necessary kimono and two horses for the journey. The festival will be a week long and in that week, I would like you to choose a husband among the youkai lords. The only way for our family to get Avaren back is with the help of a powerful youkai lord by your side as your King."

Kagome paled, sitting still and straight as a board. _Iie, __she __can't __possibly __make __me __do __this! __I __don't __want __to __marry __for __political __reasons. __I __want __love. __I __want __what __this __new__ life __has__ to __offer __in __marriage. __A __free __choice!_ Kagome screamed inside her own mind. Outwardly, she looked almost like a statue. The only thing that moved were her eyelids as she blinked rapidly to stem the flow of tears that wanted to fall. Had her wish been granted, of being anywhere but at the Hojo estate? If so, she wanted to take it back. A political marriage was no marriage at all. It would be worse than if she married Hojo!

Mitsuko looked at her daughter. She was not immune to her daughter's expressive chocolate doe eyes, seeing what Kagome would not voice. She knew what she asked was hard on her daughter but it was the only way. Mitsuko had tried hard to keep the more gruesome rumors from her daughter but she knew that servants loved to gossip. Kagome most likely overheard most of Naraku's exploits over the years. He had to be dealt with. Other than the rumored group of Taijiya that were hidden somewhere in Haedai, the only other beings who could hold their own against Naraku were other youkai. She felt sad at sacrificing her daughter's happiness by marring her to someone she didn't love but if that was what it took to save their people, she would force Kagome to do it.

Over the past six years, Mitsuko had hidden their location form Naraku while trying to find a way to regain Avaren. Nothing worked, however. Naraku seemed to evolve as time passed in ways a normal human couldn't comprehend, if all the rumors were to be believed. As the former Queen of Avaren, she could not sit by idle while her people suffered under the hands of a madman. She had to set things right. And Kagome would be the one to to do it. With Kagome's kind and sweet heart, Mitsuko knew she could heal the people of Avaren in a way Mitsuko never could.

At some point, even if Naraku had never attacked, Kagome would have had to marry eventually. The process might have been a bit similar with candidates chosen out of high ranking lords and nobles of their own kingdom and their neighbors as Mitsuko was proposing now but Kagome would have had time with each suitor, to see if a companionable marriage could be made and, eventually, love would come as time passed. Mitsuko's own marriage to Yuichi had been just like that.

"If Naraku had not attacked us and your father had not died, Kagome, you would have married eventually. I'm sure the process would have been longer, allowing you almost a full year to meet potential suitors, but you would not have been able to choose freely just anyone. Because your husband would be King one day, he would have had to be of equal station to you. Your father and I would have allowed you to choose someone you got along with and eventually love. But we do not have the time right now for that. I am asking you to save our people from that _monster's_ hands. If I could do it instead of you, I would, but I do not hold the blood of the Avaren royals. _You __do_. By law, _you_ are the heir." Her mother's voice shook with pent up emotion: sorrow for what she forced upon her daughter, pain at the loss of Yuichi and her people, hopelessness of ever seeing things set aright, confused as to the reason Naraku why still sought them out when he had already gained the Throne of Avaren and despair at how utterly helpless she felt.

Upon her own marriage to Yuichi, Jii-chan had abdicated the throne in favor of Yuichi's rule. Jii-chan, being older than anyone Mitsuko knew, could not rule then nor could he take the throne again now. The affects of old age were starting to show with loss of memory, a slightly crippled body and painful joints. Souta was still too young, only twelve, and was not considered the true heir. Mitsuko had married into the Royal House of Avaren so she could not rule by her own right. Only Kagome could and that made Mitsuko worried. It was a lot of pressure to place on such a young and innocent girl.

Mitsuko began to feel her own age for the first time. She truly felt the tiredness seep into her bones, the weariness of living as they had for the last six years.

Kagome looked at her mother a saw, truly saw, her for the woman she was and not the mother Kagome remembered from their happier times in Avaren. Her mother looked worn out. Gray streaked her lovely wavy sable tresses. Wrinkles bracketed her mouth and eyes while bags from weariness made her skin look paler than normal. Her eyes, once bright and clear that shown with the depth akin to the many shades of ground coffee, seemed lack-luster and dull. Much joy had been zapped from her, even though she made sure she laughed and had fun with her children.

Kagome had never guessed how hard it was for her mother to be parent, protector and Queen. She began to respect her more. And Kagome decided. She would do it. It upset her, sure, but it would spare her mother further grief. Maybe one day, Kagome would come to love her people as her mother so obviously did. But for right now, she would accede to her mother's wishes and marry for political gain; if only to help wipe out the worry and weariness from her mother's face and to shift the burden of being ruler off her mother's overly heavy shoulders.

"I'll go but you must promise me one thing." Kagome paused and looked her mother straight in the eye. "If no one suites me, you will not force me to marry. You will need to give me time to find someone," Kagome said determinedly. She would marry but she needed the time to become acquainted with the man first. And if there was no one at that festival, she needed the time to find that someone at a later date.

Her mother smiled wanly. "Alright but you will also have to promise me that you will try, truly try, to get along with your suitors and not rule anyone out hastily."

"Fine. When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow at mid morning. We can pack what little we'll need to bring tonight and get fresh food supplies tomorrow before we leave. The new kimono I purchased for you have already been packed."

Kagome nodded her assent and stood slowly, taking her bowl with her. She left the house quietly, wondering to the back small garden to think about what her future now held. This was not what she had meant by wishing to be anywhere else than the Hojo estate. And she would have to make an excuse to Hojo about why she couldn't go with him to the festival. Somehow, blurting out that she was the true hair to Avaren and that she was going away to make a political marriage did not seem believable. It would end up hurting Hojo's feelings for he would think she was lying to get out of the date. Fate seemed to enjoy her misery.

Kagome turned sad eyes to the sky, blue-black in the moments of twilight as the stars began to appear. Things were never simple or easy. What else would she have to sacrifice to get Avaren back? Did she care enough about her former home to fight for it? In a heart beat she knew she would. It was who she was. Kindhearted and caring, Kagome helped all who were in need no matter whether they were youkai or human, peasant or noble, whore or simple servant. She would do as her mother asked, marry for Avaren and hope her life would be happy. If not, she would find a way to be happy.

Her thoughts settled, Kagome stood and headed back into the house, bowl still in hand and full. She was no longer hungry after the disturbing thoughts of her future. Souta and Jii-chan were already laid out on their futon, sleeping in their respective spots against two separate walls. Her mother sat up in her own corner, writing it seemed. Kagome headed to her own spot, climbed into her futon and fell into a dreamless emotionally drained sleep. All she could do now was wait for her fate to come.


	3. Chapter 2: The Irresistible Tree

Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Inuyasha. Takahashi Rumiko is the only one who can claim the fame. ^_^

Author's Note: I am not fully knowledgeable on historical Japanese culture. I'm borrowing ideas from the Japanese culture to mix with my own for my made up world. And thank you for those who have reviewed so far and to those who have put this story on their favorites/alerts list. I will continue to update as soon as I believe a chapter is ready.

Definitions:

Seiza – is the formal way the Japanese sit. It is the kneeling like position most often depicted in anime when western chairs are not part of the household furniture. The other two sitting positions that are accepted are the cross legged position used by men and for women, having both legs held to one side of the body.

Zori, Geta and Tabi – In this chapter, I also bring up the Japanese traditional wooden shoes zori and geta and the socks worn with them called tabi. The zori are the wooden sandals that look the most like flip-flops while the geta are the straight wooden shoes that have two wooden platforms on the bottom to raise them up off the ground.

**Spellbound Destiny**

**Chapter 2: The Irresistible Tree**

The morning sun shone bright and clear. Not a cloud darkened the sky. Mitsuko led Kagome out of the market and towards a stable where their horses resided. The food had been bought and the supplies they needed rested in packs the two carried across their shoulders. It was about time that they headed off. Jii-chan and Souta had been told at breakfast the plan and could handle themselves for the week and few days they would be gone.

Mitsuko had planned well. With the aid of the horses, it would take them just over a day and a half at a leisurely pace to arrive at Inutaisho's palace. If they moved faster, they could make it by tonight and arrive early to get situated and explain their plight to their hosts. Mitsuko just hoped that they would be welcomed. The rumors were that Inutaisho was a very kind man, not at all like most powerful youkai. If that turned out to be untrue, she was placing her daughter in danger. Yet she couldn't risk not going either. Everything hinged on her daughter finding a husband there at Inutaisho's festival.

Taking the first horse, Mitsuko mounted up and watched her daughter do the same. It had been years since either of them had ridden. She hoped her daughter remembered her lessons from when she was little.

Kagome mounted her dark bay mare with ease. Even though it had been years since she had ridden her beloved white mare Taira, she still remembered the skills she had learned as a child. Being poor and trying to blend in with the general populace of Haedai made it hard to ride or explain how she came to learn the skill. Only nobles and merchant who were affluent enough knew how to ride with any skill. Some servants were taught the basics so they could be messengers but people on the cooking staff were in no position to know.

After taking up the reins, she followed her mother out of the village. They rode in silence at a fast pace, not frantic or hasty, but a nice canter. It allowed them to move quickly while at the same time not tiring the horses out. They stopped briefly for lunch, letting their horses rest at the side of a lake before continuing to Inutaisho's palace.

Orange, red and pink began to flood the sky when Mitsuko recognized the beginnings of the city. "We're almost there, Kagome. A few more minutes and we'll be within the city walls."

Kagome looked up at the city that lay before her with mixed emotions. Within those walls, her new life would unfold. Her true identity would be revealed and she and her mother could be placing the innocent people who lived protected by those walls at great risk.

Mitsuko slowed her horse to a walk as they neared the gates. Kagome mirrored her actions. The guards posted on either side of the ten foot tall gates seemed only slightly curious about them. They didn't stop them from entering or even ask who they were. Thinking back to her many history lessons, Kagome recalled that the capital city of Haedai was Kisashi.

Quietly, they made their way to the palace. Kagome glanced at the people of the city. They seemed happy as they moved about, closing up shops, making their last purchases and getting ready for night to completely fall. It was strange though. Youkai and human alike walked the streets freely. Neither species seemed angered by the other. The Hojo family lived in a decent sized town called Linmere but only humans inhabited it. Youkai merchants stopped to trade from time to time but none lived in the town itself. Was this Inutaisho's influence? Kagome couldn't quite fully comprehend what that meant about the great youkai lord.

From what she remembered, Avaren housed both humans and youkai but the youkai kept to themselves. They were allowed to live within the kingdom as long as they did not harm humans and enforced their own laws themselves. Youkai did not tread into human matters and humans did not tread into youkai matters. Would her marriage change that? It would have to. Upon marrying a youkai, it would look bad to shun or disregard the youkai of her own kingdom while being okay with a youkai for a king.

Kagome looked up from her musings as the castle loomed closer. It seemed like any ordinary seat for a ruling family: large and sprawling in the middle of the capital city. From the outside, Kagome could see the central tower where most governmental meetings were held. But other than that, everything remained secreted behind the wall and main gates that encompassed the entire structure.

Mitsuko stopped at the gates and dismounted. She was nervous at their reception. They were not dressed as nobles and she had not been able to send word ahead of them to prepare Inutaisho and his wife, Lady Izayoi, for their arrival. Kagome followed her mother's lead. She stayed silent to allow her mother to talk to the guards for the both of them.

"I'm here for Inutaisho-sama's festival," Mitsuko began. "I know we are early and we have not sent word ahead of our arrival, but I would like an audience with Inutaisho-sama before the festival begins."

The guards looked at Mitsuko then exchanged glances. Guests for the festival were not expected until tomorrow. The guard to the right opened his side of the gate just enough to enter before closing it again. The guard to the left gave his standard response, "Wait here and we'll let Inutaisho-sama know."

Kagome fidgeted, unexpectedly nervous at meeting her hosts tonight. She had thought they would be lead to their rooms for the night and would meet their hosts in the morning. Mitsuko had not told Kagome that they would ask for an audience before the festivities.

The guard came back with confused eyes. He left the gate open and motioned for the two ladies to follow him. "Inutaisho-sama will see you," he said as he guided them trough the palace grounds.

Kagome couldn't look at the beautiful scenery before her. Too many butterflies danced in her stomach. She followed the guard quietly while Mitsuko walked regally-like the queen she was. Mitsuko had only met Inutaisho once, on her wedding day and only to say hello, but she hoped he still remembered her.

The guard stopped in front of two beautifully painted shoji doors. A giant white inu youkai stood guard in a field of blooming sakura trees while a beautiful human woman played with a child no more than five years of age. Kagome stared at the scene, entranced. The child wasn't human. He couldn't be. Two golden eyes stared at the woman with excitement and joy. Silver hair flowed in the breeze and two very adorable inu ears sat atop his head. Looking closely, Kagome noticed that the painter had captured a slight resemblance between the child and the woman. Calling upon her lessons again, Kagome recounted who the foreign royals were. She realized that the giant inu youkai was Inutaisho's true form, the woman with him was his wife, Lady Izayoi, and the child was their hanyou son. The eldest son from Inutaisho's first marriage, Sesshoumaru if she remembered correctly, was not depicted.

The guard pushed one of the doors aside, stepped out of their way and bid them to enter. Kagome followed behind her mother, taking in the details of the room and the people in it. The two occupants looked to be caught off guard about their visit. Inutaisho sat next to Lady Izayoi without his armor, his robes hastily put on and in slight disarray while his silver hair hung loose over his shoulders. Lady Izayoi wore a dressing gown over her yukata, her hair taken down from it's usual complicated styling. The room was bare except for the sitting mats placed for them, a tea set on one tray and a second tray with refreshments. The walls were decorated with similar scenes of the couple and the hanyou child with oil lamps placed every so often to light to room.

Mitsuko moved to the first mat, placed slightly in front of the second and to it's left. She bowed formally to her hosts before taking her seat in the proper seiza position. Kagome stopped in front of her mat and followed he mother's actions. They waited for their hosts to make the first move.

"Higurashi Mitsuko," Inutaisho began. "The guard told me we had visitors but did not mention a name. I'm surprised to see you here."

"Anata, they must be tired from their journey. They should have some tea and refreshments before we talk more," Lady Izayoi interrupted. She gestured to the trays next to her.

"Yes, please. That would be very nice," Mitsuko replied, polite and respectful of her hostess's thoughtfulness.

Lady Izayoi set to her task of making the tea. She poured four cups and distributed them to each person, starting first with Mitsuko, Kagome then her husband and herself. She then placed some food on two plates and gave one to each of her guests. Kagome nodded her thanks and kept a silent watch over the rest of the occupants in the room. She took dainty bites from the assorted sweet breads and small sips of tea while the adults talked.

"Now, what can we do for you Mitsuko-san?" Inutaisho continued with his questioning. He didn't want to assume anything and decided to let the former Queen explain first.

"For the last six years, my family and I have been in hiding in your kingdom. I know you have heard about the attack on our home." Mitsuko paused to get Inutaisho's nod. "After some recent news from Avaren and my daughter's recent seventeenth birthday, I have decided to come out of hiding. The only thing I would like to ask of you is your permission to allow my daughter to meet the youkai lords that will be present at your festival. I have a plan to get Avaren out of Naraku's hands but it requires a strong youkai lord to become Kagome's husband."

Inutaisho stared at the woman who stared back at him with steady eyes. He then looked to the young girl, Mitsuko's daughter. She was reserved, quiet and respectful. She allowed them to talk without interrupting. She made no fuss about her soon to be arranged marriage to an unknown youkai lord.

When she had entered, he had thought that Kikyou had come back from the dead. His youngest son, Inuyasha, had fallen in love with Kikyou fifty years ago. Kikyou was from the Higurashi family, the cousin of Kagome's grandfather. But Kagome's looks were more than just familial resemblance. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but it was an interesting twist of fate. He would allow them to stay for the festival, partly for their cause and partly to see just what fate had in store for this young woman.

"I welcome you to my home for the festival." Inutaisho rang a bell that had been placed next to him and waited for a servant to come in.

"Yes, Inutaisho-sama?" a female servant asked upon entering the room.

"Please take our guests, Mitsuko-san and her daughter, to one of the prepared rooms for the festival."

"Hai, Inutaisho-sama." The servant turned and bowed respectfully to the guests. "This way please," she said as she motioned to the open shoji door.

Mitsuko and Kagome stood, bowed respectfully to their hosts, and followed the servant down the winding hallways. She stopped a few minutes later in front of two shoji doors depicting a young woman in the middle of a river gazing out over a beautiful snow capped mountain at sunset. The servant opened the door and motioned for them to enter.

"Everything you need is inside. I will see to it that a servant brings you both a light dinner. Please make yourselves comfortable." The servant bowed respectfully to them and turned to leave.

Kagome moved through the open doorway and took in their spacious room. Two futons lay in the middle of the room neatly folded while off to the right and left, clothing stands stood for them to hang their kimono. While they waited for their light dinner to arrive, Kagome and Mitsuko took out Kagome's seven new kimono and placed them on the racks.

Kagome admired them. They were all exquisitely beautiful. Three were formal kimono, worn for the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the announcement of her engagement. The other four were semi-formal kimono to be worn during the rest of the week's activities. Each new kimono was unique. None shared the same pattern or background color.

The first, which she would wear during tomorrow's opening ceremonies, was done in the Higurashi house colors. It was a gorgeous green furisode kimono with gardenia and jasmine flowers patterning the bottom to the waist and up the sleeves with a few mini red rose buds scattered throughout. It stole Kagome's breathe away and made her miss her long lost home. Besides the sakura trees, their palace in Avaren had boasted the most beautiful and fragrant gardenias and jasmine. Unfortunately, after six years of neglect, they were more than likely dead by now.

Soon after they finished putting away the new kimono, their light dinner arrived. They ate in silence, each contemplating tomorrow's nerve racking opening ceremonies and all that would be in store for them. After finishing their meal and placing the empty dishes on the tray outside of their room, Kagome and Mitsuko fell asleep. They were exhausted from the day's events.

O o O o O o O o O

Izayoi stared out her room's open back door, watching the sunrise the following morning. The day looked promising. Only a few white puffy clouds marred the otherwise unblemished horizon as shades of orange and yellow painted the sky.

Since her meeting with the two Higurashi women last night, she couldn't help but think the answer to her and her husband's prays had come. Kagome held such a resemblance to Kikyou that maybe Kagome had inherited more than just looks from the deceased miko.

Izayoi was sad for her son and she felt pity and sorrow for Kikyou, but she didn't hate her. All she wanted was her son back, awake and enjoying life. Kagome might just be able to do that.

Narrowing her eyes at the sky, a plan began to form in her mind. Kagome seemed resigned to her mother's plans but it was clear that she disliked the idea. There was no joy or excitement on the girl's face or in her eyes that bespoke of someone who wished to marry, or felt happy about marrying.

Izayoi could use that to her advantage to maneuver Kagome into their private back garden where the Goshinboku resided, the tree where son was sealed. If Kagome was truly able to unseal Inuyasha, then she would be drawn to do so. All Izayoi had to do was wait for the right moment when Kagome seemed fed up with her mother's plans and talk to her. A seed must be planted, that Kagome could seek refuge in the back gardens. Izayoi would not blatantly tell her to head for the sacred tree but suggest that she could seek some peace and quite in the gardens.

She felt slightly guilty about deceiving the poor girl but a mother had to do what she must for her children. It was a fact Kagome's own mother shared with her and the reason Kagome was at Lady Izayoi's palace today.

With her mind set, Izayoi turned to dress. Most of the guests would be arriving around lunch time and on. She had to put the last finishing touches on the events to come before she was needed to greet them.

O o O o O o O o O

Kagome stared at herself in awe. The reflection in the mirror couldn't be her. The woman was stunning, beautiful and alluring.

Kagome had endured the long hours it took to style her hair into twin peaks atop her head held by combs and hairpins that matched the flowers of her kimono. Two separate strands from the back of her neck cascaded down and over her shoulders to rest in front of her. Her bangs had been brushed airily so that they seemed to flow with the breeze. Slight peeks of her forehead could be seen as she moved. Her face had been painted with slight rouge on her lips and cheeks. Kohl lined her eyes to give her an exotic look. Her naturally pale skin, an oddity for someone from Avaren, made her look ethereal. There was no need for her face, neck and hands to be painted in the traditional ivory paint of court women.

She couldn't believe the change that had been made to her appearance over the hours before the ceremony. Because her family had been in hiding, her mother and herself had cut their hair to the traditional length of the common people: just below the waist. With this styling, she looked the part of a true royal, the length of her hair hidden by the complex twists and turns and folds.

Along with the outer formal kimono, Kagome had endured the hard teachings from her mother on how to walk in proper court dress. She had to wear four under kimono layers, all simple solid colors that contrasted with her outer kimono, and wooden geta. The wooden geta were the hardest to walk in. At least she would only be required to wear them while outside the palace for the duration of the week.

By the time her mother had been finished giving her the instructions, servants had come to prepare her for the opening ceremonies. The guests had been arriving for the last few hours and they had been told that the opening ceremonies would start right before dinner.

Placing the mirror next to her folded futon, Kagome stood slowly. The combined weight of her kimono and hair accessories made her feel as if she would topple over if she tried to take even one step too quickly. The affect of her slower movements made her appear regal and refined and even graceful compared to her usual semi-clumsy self.

"Come, Kagome, we can't be late," Mitsuko pestered her, already at the outer door leading to the outside hallways. Taking a shaky breathe, Kagome released it and her worries to float off into the cool breeze the night air stirred. She would try to have a good time tonight, try to be good and find someone worth talking to that could be her husband.

They moved down the hallways to the throne room at a steady even pace. Kagome could hear the boisterous sounds of talking, laughing and conversation. She wasn't sure how many people were suppose to attend and hadn't thought to ask. From the sounds, it was a good sized number, maybe a few hundred in total. She couldn't bring herself to guess at how many of those people were single men looking for marriage.

Kagome jolted abruptly as Mitsuko stopped in front of two shoji doors painted with scenes of a great white inu youkai battling various enemies. A servant bowed to them then slid one door open to allow them entrance. The two women slid out of their wooden geta and the servant placed them with the others along the wall.

The dazzling scene that met Kagome's eyes as she stepped through the open door blinded her for a moment and her breath caught. Every guest was arrayed like she was: bright bold colors, intricate hairstyles and jewelry flashed before the hundreds of candles that lit the room in a sparkling golden glow. Each garment worn by the various youkai and human nobles dictated their status, their family and their wealth. It was beautiful and silly at the same time, reminding Kagome of peacocks as each noble tried to outdo all the others in their display. She tried to stifle a giggle while her mother stepped into the room and she had to follow.

At first, no one took notice of them. They could gaze at their new society at their leisure. Then, when one woman had glanced away from her group to see who had entered and saw their house colors, news of their arrival spread like wildfire until all the guests stared at them and grew quiet.

Inutaisho stood next to his wife at the head of the room, in front of his throne. Clearing his throat, he gained the attention of his audience and began to speak. "I present to you, my honored guests, two very special friends of mine. This is Higurashi Mitsuko, former Queen of Avaren, and her daughter Higurashi Kagome. Please welcome them and honor them with your company." With that, Inutaisho had stated clearly that he valued the Higurashi family and accepted them.

The crowd began to speak all at once, curious about what had happened to the former Queen and her family. Mitsuko kindly answered the questions as she heard them. She told most of the crowd that she would speak to each person individually as the night wore on.

With her mother busy, Kagome took the opportunity to study the men around her. Some of the human lords were old with graying hair and many wrinkles. There were a few nice looking sons around, two of which she wouldn't mind having for a husband if they proved to be kindhearted gentlemen.

Continuing her perusal of the room, she realized that she couldn't tell how old the youkai lords were. They aged differently than humans. Most youkai were able to live several hundred years without any outward change after they matured.

One particular youkai lord caught her attention as she finished scanning the room. He stared at her with such bright blue eyes and a smirk on his face, it unnerved her. Taking in his armor clad body decorated with wolf pelts and a wolf tail swishing behind him, she guessed he was a wolf youkai. She gulped slightly when he made to come toward her. His intent eyes held an emotion she couldn't quite place.

"So you're the legendary Hime of Avaren," he said in way of a greeting.

"Legendary Hime?" Kagome asked dumbly, not sure what else to do.

"Naraku has been seeking information across the kingdoms about the Hime of Avaren, whom had escaped six years ago from the palace. He apparently wants you for some reason. I can only guess he knew you would grow up to be very beautiful." The wolf youkai tried to give her a compliment but it fell short with his mention of Naraku. Kagome paled slightly, the memories of the attack flooded her mind. The wolf youkai continued. He didn't seem to notice her quiet demeanor or paler skin. "I'm Kouga, Prince of the Wolf Tribe."

Kagome stared in astonishment when, after his announcement, Kouga picked up her hands and held them in his own. His touch was possessive, his stare slightly creepy. "You'll be my woman from now on. I wont let Naraku have you," he declared with certainty.

_Who__ does __this __guy __think __he__ is?_ Kagome shook her hands free and stared at him angrily. "It's nice to meet you but you can't just go around declaring women you've just met that they're yours."

Unphased by her words, Kouga looked at her possessively. He picked up her hands into his hold again. "Don't worry, once we leave this festival, you'll come back home with me to become my wife."

_What __is __wrong __with __this __guy?_ Kagome stared at Kouga, truly dumbfounded. He held her possessively, spoke possessively but she got the feeling that he was also somewhat kindhearted. His words didn't hold a malicious intent in them, just possessiveness.

Maybe she could give this guy a chance? She could steer the conversation to other topics and try to get him to loose his possessiveness over the course of the next week. Kagome untangled her hands form Kouga's and stood back a bit to take full stock of him. He looked strong with a lean muscular build. His legs were long and lithe, toned from intense running. He also called himself the Prince of the Wolf Tribe. Kouga fit her mother's profile perfectly in that way.

"How about we start again." Kagome smiled up at Kouga and extended a hand for him to take. Kouga stared at it blankly. "I'm Kagome. It's nice to meet you," she said while her hand fell back to her side. Apparently, wherever Kouga lived, they didn't have the polished manners she had been taught at the palace.

"You already know my name." Kouga stared at Kagome for a few more seconds, not sure what to do. He opened his mouth, about to ask her to sit next to him for dinner when another male figure approached.

The newcomer was handsome, though in a more feminine way than Kouga. His long ebony hair was tied behind him in a braid while his apple red eyes shone with arrogance and superiority. A woman trailed after him hurriedly. She chased him as if her life depended on it. Kagome could only think that she was his mistress for the night. She was all but forgotten now.

"Well aren't you pretty. You skin is flawless. I could eat you up in a heart beat." The newcomer gazed at Kagome with hungry eyes. A cold shiver ran up her spine. He meant he would actually eat her flesh.

"Lay off, Hiten. I saw her first," Kouga growled at Hiten.

Hiten glanced lazily at Kouga. "She's too good for you. She at least has some breeding and nobility. You may be a Prince of the Wolves but I don't understand how anyone could stand your uncouth ways. You live like a heathen."

Kouga growled menacingly. He extended a clawed hand in preparation for a fight. Before either youkai could move, more men came up to Kagome and surrounded her. The crowd pushed Hiten and Kouga back away from her. Kouga didn't like being separated from his woman. Hiten laughed and moved back to his mistress. He took the woman into his arms and kissed her cheek.

Kagome, surrounded by the men, turned in every direction to find a way out. The men, youkai and human alike, asked her questions and talked to her nonstop. It was overwhelming. Finally, a path opened before her and she took her chance to escape. She did not notice, however, the reason why the path had been formed. She walked right into a beautiful woman who stood in her way.

Lady Izayoi gazed at Kagome adoringly, resting her hand to steady the poor girl. It had been obvious to Izayoi that Kagome had no clue how to handle nobles. It was the perfect opportunity she had been looking for. "I know all this is new to you, Kagome," Izayoi began kindly. "If you ever need a break from all these people, the back gardens are just beyond the far right wall. You can go there at any time to take in the night's fresh air and collect your thoughts."

"Th-thank you," Kagome stammered. She was horrified at herself for walking right into the Queen of Haedai. She hadn't thought beyond the need to get away from all the people. And with her head down to avoid the men, she hadn't seen Lady Izayoi in her way. She blushed from embarrassment and moved away.

Izayoi let Kagome go and smiled to herself. Kagome was awkward with the many nobles in the room but something radiated from the girl that had Lady Izayoi willing to come to her defense. She must keep her eye on the girl. Some instinct made Izayoi feel that changes were coming, due to this young girl, and she could not stand to let Kagome come to any harm.

That thought made her guilty about her own plans to lure Kagome to the back gardens. But unsealing her son Inuyasha would not harm Kagome. Izayoi looked speculatively at Kagome's retreating back. No, she would not be hard by Inuyasha. Her son could never hurt an innocent, even if his reputation and gruff exterior made many believe he was ruthless. Maybe Kagome could tame his wild ways? Izayoi shook her head at the thought ruefully. Next she would be thinking about Inuyasha marrying the girl and that was highly unlikely considering the emotional state Kikyou had left her son in.

Safely ensconced in an corner, away from her crowd of men, Kagome watched Lady Izayoi turn from where she stood to walk gracefully back to her husband. Inutaisho held up a hand for silence. "Now that everyone has gathered, it is time for the opening ceremonies."

Inutaisho turned his head to a servant and nodded. The doors behind him opened to allow a monk dressed in black and purple robes to enter. A staff in one hand and prayer beads in the other, the monk walked to Inutaisho, bowed, then turned to the crowd of people. Eyes closed, he chanted solemnly a prayer of good fortune, guidance and peace. Bowing to the crowd and again to Inutaisho, the monk left the room quietly after his chant.

"Now is the time to renew old alliances and make new ones. Let us all call a truce, for this one week, and enjoy the festivities." Inutaisho clapped his hands, calling for his servants to enter with the dinner feast. The guests backed away towards the walls as trays and mats were brought in then placed along the perimeter of the room.

Kagome felt her hand being seized and her body propelled forward once the servants left. She looked up at the back of Kouga's head, his pony tail swishing in time with his tail. Not knowing what to do, Kagome followed silently behind him. What harm could it do? And she certainly didn't want to sit next to Hiten. Kouga was the safest choice out of all the men here and her mother would not be happy if she turned down Kouga's offer in favor to sit with Mitsuko.

Once at their place, Kouga and Kagome sat next to each other, knees almost touching. More servants walked in, this time carrying trays laden with food. Kouga didn't allow her time to pick what she wanted. He instead chose her food for her, placing bowls and plates on her tray only after he inspected and cut the bigger portions into smaller bite sized pieces.

Once the food had been served to all the guests, the entertainment for the night entered the throne room. Kagome gazed at the performance appreciatively. The dancers moved with a skill and grace she had never seen before as they twirled and stepped in time with the music and waved fans and bells around. They passed a comment or two in whispered tones about the dancers every once in a while but otherwise stayed silent during the show.

Kagome looked at Kouga consideringly when the dancers paused in their performance. When he didn't talk, Kagome found his presence quite enjoyable. He seemed like a nice man once his possessiveness was under control. She might even be able to live with him as his wife. Her mother would be happy at her first true candidate for marriage.

As the dancers finished and gracefully took their finishing pose, the guests clapped quietly in respect. Inutaisho rose from his seat and thanked the dancers for the entertainment. He then clapped his hands twice in rapid succession, a sign for the servants to clear away the empty food trays. "Now, the rest of the evening is yours to mingle with each other. Take this time to get to know the unfamiliar faces and catch up on events with old friends." Inutaisho turned to his wife and motioned her to follow him around the room to speak with each of his guests.

Kouga stood silently. He watched Kagome take her time standing. His ice blue eyes traveled over her lustfully. Her graceful movements made him want to grab her to him and move to the nearest bedroom. She was beautiful. Much prettier than most humans he had met. His woman would be the envy of all their tribe. He moved them away from the trays and was about to speak when several other men began to crowd them. He growled in frustration and let go of her hand so Kagome would not get hurt in the men's attempt to get closer to her.

Kagome felt flustered. She wasn't use to all the attention, especially not from men. She heard Kouga's growl and felt the withdrawal of his hand. She became nervous, unsure if Kouga was going to fight off the men or just leave her.

"Where have you and your family been for the last six years?" one man asked to the right of her.

Kagome glanced at him and smiled weakly. She decided against telling them she had been a servant in the Hojo estate. Nobles did not like hearing about servants or someone of noble birth having anything to do with servants. "We hid in a small village here in Haedai. My mother thought it best if we didn't tell anyone our true identity."

"So why are you now here, letting us all know who you are and where you are?" another young man asked on her left. He gestured to the group around her to indicate who he was talking about.

"The situation in Avaren has become worse. We wished to help in some way and that can only be done if people know we are still alive and well, seeking aid from wherever we can." Kagome dipped her head in embarrassment. "Legally, I can now take the throne and rule in my own right once Naraku is dealt with. My mother thought it best to wait until I came of age." _She_ thought it best to not mention her mother's marriage scheme. Mitsuko was already talking to these young men's families about Kagome's marriage eligibility. Let them hear about that from their mothers. It was too embarrassing to admit it here.

Kagome slowly found herself surrounded by most of the unmarried men as time passed. Kouga had disappeared from her sight without her knowledge, one moment there and the next, gone. She answered the barrage of questions from the men, mainly things about herself, as best as she could. Soon, however; it became stifling as she was pressed further into a corner they had some how maneuvered her into. She politely excused herself, intent on finding her mother and staying close to her.

But when she reached the middle of the room, Lady Izayoi's words came back to her. She paused mid step and looked out over the room, her gaze settling on the wall that connected to the back gardens. Kagome quickly looked around the room to make sure no one followed her. Thankfully, the group of men that had been dogging her every move had left to talk with other people and gave her no notice. She made her decision to go for it.

Kagome turned back around then changed course to make a beeline to the wall. She saw as she grew closer slight lines along the far right end. She squinted her eyes to get a better look at that portion of the wall. Still not seeing much, Kagome felt along the wall with her hands and found the outline of a hidden door.

She glanced back over her shoulder quickly to make sure no one noticed her then tried to open the door. It would not budge when she tried to push or pull on it. Maybe there was a secret mechanism that opened it? Thinking it through, she ran her hands along the wall around the door to see if there was a spot that could be moved. Finding it, she pushed it in and then up which triggered the door mechanism. Taking a last look over her shoulder, and still finding no one watching her, Kagome slipped through the door.

The cool breeze greeted her on the other side. The moon shone bright, allowing her to see without the aid of many torches. She took a deep breathe in through her nose, smelling the scent of flowers and blossoming trees on the air from the garden. It smelled earthy, fresh, like a night after rain. The stress of the day began to melt away and she relaxed into the surroundings.

Realizing she had forgotten to grab her geta on the way out, Kagome carefully removed her white tabi and placed them on the deck before she walked onto the lush green grass. She held the trailing ends of her kimono in one hand so they would not get dirty. With her eyes closed, Kagome let her feet sink into the cool comfort of the grass, allowing all her worries leave her body. For once in the last three days, she felt at peace.

Opening her eyes after a few minutes, Kagome looked around her. The plants were beautiful, breath taking really. Though winter was almost upon them, the plants in this garden seemed not to care as they blossomed late in the season. Every shade was represented: pink, red, orange, yellow, blue, purple; too many to count. It was an endless array of living art, each plant placed strategically to accentuate the flow of the garden. She saw a path begin to form from the flowers, leading to a specific spot she could not make out at first for trees had replaced simple flowering plants.

Kagome's heart skipped a beat and then pounded rapidly. She felt strange emotions swell inside her. Anticipation, longing and need. She felt herself being drawn to that spot as if she had been called by it. An unseen power surrounded her with each step she took until, finally, she could make out the form of a very large and ancient tree that glowed a pinkish hue.

She could not look away; the sight consumed her. She had to to follow the path, had to get closer to that tree. The strands of hair that had been left out of the complicated style began to lift off her body and twirl, moved by a power deep inside her. Kagome felt it build, resonate with her being, as she grew closer.

Finally, she stood in front of the great tree. She looked up only to stare at a figure pinned to the middle of the tree with an arrow. Tree limbs entwined the figure's lower half as if to both to protect him and hold him closer, nestling his body on a nook of sorts. Long silver hair blew around with the suddenly strong breeze, pulled free from underneath him. Two inu ears sat atop his head, still and yet relaxed. Kagome found herself letting go of her kimono ends and climbing atop the branches to reach the young man, not caring that her bare feet landed on stray twigs that dug into her tender skin. She could not help herself. Her hands moved of their own accord to rub the delicate ears. They were adorable.

With a blush, she let her hands fall to take in the young man's face. His features were serene. He appeared as if in a deep relaxing slumber. His eyebrows arched effortlessly over his closed eyes and were half hidden under overgrown bangs. Two long forelocks of silver hair flapped in the surging power that radiated from her, brushing up against her hand in a silky caress. Realization dawned in Kagome as she stared at him longer. It was Lady Izayoi's son, Inuyasha-the sealed hanyou!

A surge of power made her body tingle. A need she had never felt until this night grew even stronger. Kagome felt as if she had to touch the arrow. Her hand moved towards it unbidden. Her breath hitched when it came into view and glowed pink. Kagome pulled back from the tree quickly. The sharpness of her movements combined with the weight of her kimono made her loose her footing and fall to the ground.

She stared at her hand with wide chocolate eyes, unbelieving. A pulsing began in her body. It started at her heart and radiated outward. A pink glow flowed from her skin with each pulse. The need pressed down on her. Kagome looked up at the tree when a slight sound reached her ears. The young man pulsed in time with her. The sound was like a heart beat, beating in time with the pulsing inside her and growing louder with each minute that passed.

Dazed, Kagome stood up and walked back over to the tree. She lifted herself up on the branches around Inuyasha. The power grew even more. Her hand lifted once again to the arrow, glowing a steady pink. The heart beat pounded in her ears rhythmically. Then, as if a bubble burst, she felt a powerful surge in her body. It went from her very center out to her hand and into the arrow. The arrow glowed pink before disappearing.

Kagome felt whole, complete, like a piece of herself had been missing and was now back in place. She stared at her hand, still fisted like it held the arrow. She heard a growl and looked up into the most stunning golden eyes she had ever seen. Forgetting about the new feelings inside her, she stared at Inuyasha, lost in his expressive eyes. Only one thought crossed her mind: he was alive.


	4. Chapter 3: Twilight Memory

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Takahashi Rumiko is the genius who does. ^_^

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. A few have truly touched my heart and make me realize again why I love to write. As to AwaitingMyBlackKnight's (from ) comment about Kikyou, I, too, was getting sick of her always coming back to life (and am still a bit mad that she didn't die sooner). It does show how Kagome is such a kind-hearted girl, constantly saving her rival. I will say this: Kikyou will not be coming back to life in this story. However, Inuyasha will be dwelling on her death for a while because, to him, it is so fresh in his memory. If you truly love someone (significant other, friend, relative, etc.), their death will mark you for the rest of your days. The pain will lesson and in time you can heal but that does not happen over night and that is how I will be dealing with Inuyasha's reaction to Kikyou's death. And now, for the third chapter. Enjoy! ^_^

**Spellbound Destiny**

**Chapter 3: Twilight Memory**

_Well, __he's __really __just __awake __not __alive. __He's__ been __alive __for __the __last __fifty __years, __just __'sleeping,' _Kagome berated herself. Her hand, the one that had grasped the arrow, moved without her notice to rest on Inuyasha's shoulder. She rested the lower half of her body against his while her eyes stared into unfathomable golden ones. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, his stare somewhat unnerving. His nose twitched before he opened his mouth to speak.

"Oi," he said rudely. "What are you doing here, Kikyou?" Inuyasha's mind was fuzzy. He said the first thing that had popped into his head after getting a look at the girl's face. His mind and heart rebelled at seeing Kikyou again. He remembered clearly how she had pinned him to this tree, how she had betrayed him.

His brows furrowed when his nose twitched and picked up the most delicious scent he had ever smelled. It was sweet and exotic with deep undertones of something he could not name. It was a scent he would have remembered if he had ever encountered it before. It was not the scent of freshly bloomed lilies and lotuses that Kikyou had.

Inuyasha shook his head as the girl in front of him became angry. He tried to clear his mind so he could think better but the girl made it difficult when she opened her mouth to speak. His eyes landed on her exquisitely formed and delicate rouged lips.

"My name isn't Kikyou. It's Kagome. Higurashi Kagome." Kagome had never before been mistaken for one of her deceased relatives. Sure, she resembled Kikyou. Everyone who had known Kikyou said as much. But she was never mistaken for her. How could he not see the difference? And why would he speak so rudely to her? For that matter, why did he even speak to her at all? If he didn't know who she was, then wouldn't the proper thing be to just keep his mouth shut? And his speech was so rude, too! He was a prince. His manners should have been better, as her's were even after six years without use.

Inuyasha blinked, then stared at Kagome for a few minutes, assessing her. She did hold a resemblance to Kikyou but he now noticed the differences as he stared at her longer. Kagome's hair was styled like a court lady, not the simple pulled back way Kikyou always wore regardless of where she was. Kagome's eyes were also different. They were deeper, a warmer shade of brown, shining with an inner light that Kikyou never had.

Continuing his perusal of the girl in front of him, he noticed the rest of her attire. She was dressed like a court lady. Her kimono a finely made creation with not a single stitch out of place, done in the same house colors as Kikyou's family. Confusion lit his face. She had said her name was Higurashi, Kikyou's family name. Could Kikyou have had a child? That seemed improbable. Enough time had not passed for Kikyou to have had a child Kagome's age and Inuyasha couldn't think of anyone she would have been willing to have a child with. He was the only one that she had showed any interest in.

"Oi, you, who are you really?" Inuyasha directed at her. He didn't like being in the dark.

"My name is Kagome. Ka-go-me. Use it!" Kagome fumed. Kouga was rude but this guy was far worse. Nothing that came out of his mouth was politely directed.

Without thinking about the consequences, Kagome moved her arms to her hips, her anger getting the better of her. She had been steadying herself on the tree limbs with one hand and her other on Inuyasha's shoulder. With both hands removed, she felt herself begin to fall backwards. Inuyasha made a quick decision and cut the tree limbs encasing his body with his claws. He moved with lighting speed and caught Kagome around her waist. Her arms, flailing before to try to catch her balance, fastened around his chest. She buried her face into his red haori, waiting for her heart to stop its rapid pace.

Not used to the close contact, Inuyasha pulled away quickly. "You still haven't answered my question. I've never heard of a Kagome from the Higurashi royal house. Who are you?" he enunciated each word carefully and covered his slight embarrassment by staring down at her intimidatingly. He did a fair job impersonating his father when Inutaisho dealt with an insubordinate soldier.

Kagome stared back at him equally, not taking his attitude. "I told you. I'm Higurashi Kagome. The woman you thought I was, Kikyou, was a cousin of my grandfather's."

"Was?" Inuyasha asked. Dread formed in the pit of his stomach.

"Yes. Was. She died fifty years ago."

Kagome watched as Inuyasha grew pale. She gasped and held a hand over her mouth. She had forgotten in her anger that he had been sealed by Kikyou for the last fifty years. He didn't know that the wound he had caused was the reason she died. "The wound she suffered from your fight made her loose too much blood. After she sealed you to that tree, she died. I'm sorry." Kagome spoke more kindly to him, truly sorry for the sorrow she caused with her words.

Inuyasha looked off to the side, unable to bare the resemblance Kagome shared with his love. She was gone. Dead. He hadn't meant to hurt her during their fight but she had pushed him too far, to the point where instinct had ruled for a few short seconds. Those few seconds were all it took to lash out at her and he regretted it fiercely. Kikyou hadn't made any indication that the wound was deep so Inuyasha had thought it was only a scratch. He knew it was enough to draw blood but certainly from her outward reaction it wasn't anything that could have killed her. But it was and it killed him to know he was the cause of her death.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth and held back tears. Her death was a senseless one. If only she had just listened to him and tried to talk it through with him. She would not have threatened him and his instincts would not have taken over.

Inuyasha tightened his hand into a fist then let it go along with a deep breath. He turned back to Kagome, composed. Something else she had said finally caught in his frazzled mind. "Fifty years?" he asked, blinking in disbelief.

"Hai, fifty years. Kikyou sealed you to a tree so that it would be imposable for a normal person to undo it. Only someone who posses powerful miko power could and though your mother and father have searched since you were sealed, there wasn't anyone who could."

"So how could you?"

Kagome brought her right hand up to stare at it. She remembered the power that had surged through her body to the arrow, something she had never felt before. "I don't know," she whispered, mystified. "Maybe because I'm related to her? I've always had a strange sixth sense but I've never showed signs of miko abilities before."

Kagome lost sight of what was around her. Her mind took her back to the power, to the many feelings she had experienced. She mentally inspected herself, feeling for changes and differences. Something _was_ different. Something had been released when she encountered the tree. Something had filled a hole she never knew she had. She just didn't know _what_ it was.

"Oi. Oi!" Inuyasha yelled. Kagome had stopped talking and stared with glazed eyes at her hand. Inuyasha tried again to bring her back to the present, going so far as to wave his hand in front of her face. "Oi, bitch, are you listening to me?"

Kagome came back to herself in a rush and lost the tenuous thread to her inner self. "Huh?"

"What about the Shikon no Tama?"

"Shikon no Tama?"

"The sacred jewel Kikyou had been entrusted with. Where is it?" Inuyasha crossed his arms impatiently while a foot tapped.

Kagome put her index finger to her lips, trying to think of what the stories said about the jewel. "I think the story goes that Kikyou asked her sister, Kaede, to burn it along with her body. But I don't know if that's true since Kaede disappeared soon after Jii-chan ascended the throne."

Inuyasha's mind reeled. That jewel was the reason he and Kikyou had been fighting. Now it was gone? And the only person who knew where it might be had disappeared many years ago. How was he going to find it? It was rightfully his, dammit!

A rustle caught his attention before he could ask Kagome more questions. He scented the air, catching wind of two familiar scents along with a large group of unfamiliar ones.

Inutaisho and Lady Izayoi were the first two people to come into view. A mix of youkai and human nobles followed close behind them. Inuyasha could feel that they meant not harm to him or Kagome and relaxed his position somewhat-so as not to frighten anyone. The girl had probably come from whatever gathering they were all dressed for so she was not in danger in that regard.

Lady Izayoi stopped short of reaching her son, tears gathering in her eyes. Her instincts had been right. Kagome had released her son. He was finally back with them. Her husband continued to move towards Inuyasha, questions in his eyes until his gaze landed on Kagome. His mind came to the conclusion his wife had made the night before.

"Haha-ue, Chichi-ue," Inuyasha greeted.

His mother moved toward him and enfolded him in a strong heartfelt hug. His father stood back a bit, allowing his emotional wife to make sure Inuyasha was alive and well. Lady Izayoi patted her son down, checking to see if everything was in the right place, before pulling back to look up at him. Her tears fell unchecked down her cheeks.

"It's good to have you back, my son," Inutaisho began before he turned to the crowd. "Tonight, my son has returned to us. The seal has been broken. I would like for you all to go back to your rooms while my wife and I spend time with our son," Inutaisho shooed them away politely. Then added, as an afterthought, "Except for you, Mitsuko-san, and you daughter." He waited for the crowd to leave then motioned for them to follow him back inside to one of his private rooms.

O o O o O o O o O

Naraku's anger began to boil. His mind's eye watched helpless as his puppet was turned away from the gathering in the garden.

He had sent his puppet to Inutaisho's palace to report on the latest news from Haedai, like every other year, to make sure there were no changes. Upon reaching the throne room for the opening ceremonies, nothing had seemed different from any of the previous festivals. Then the girl and her mother had walked in. She was older now, matured and quite pretty. But the resemblance to her child self was still there. It was the same girl who had been evading his grasp for the last six years.

Naraku had been elated to find her. The fact she was in the middle of his enemy's throne room was just a small snag. He made sure his puppet kept a close eye on her but when she moved to a wall and a hidden door, his puppet could not go through without causing suspicious eyes to follow. It was stuck in the throne room. But then a sudden bright pink flash lit up the room and his hosts, along with the guests, moved outside. He had taken the opportunity to maneuver his puppet with them to see what the girl was up to.

The sight the puppet reported back to him had his fist clenching in unreleased anger. He wanted to kill something with his bare hand, to relish the feel and sight of the blood coat his fingers and the smell of death as it came to his victim slowly. Yes, he had indeed found the girl, but a moment too late. Standing by her side was that pesky hanyou, Inuyasha. This girl was indeed the one he had been searching for. The proof stood by her side, alive, awake and as healthy as ever. Not a mark was on him. Nothing that could give testimony to the fight fifty years ago.

The puppet's eyes reverted back to the girl. She resembled Kikyou in an unexpected way. It was too much for a mere relative. Something was strange about her likeness. And the fact she had broken the seal. She was just as powerful as Kikyou and that alone made her his, even if she did not know it.

He made the puppet''s eyes take in every inch of her. The Shikon no Tama did not rest around her neck as it had with Kikyou in its solid stable form as a jewel. Whatever abilities the princess possessed naturally were amplified by it residing inside her body somewhere. The problem came of finding where in her body it was hidden and, before that, how to get her away from the inu hanyou now that he was awake again.

Naraku narrowed his eyes. There must be some way to get to the girl. His original plan of grabbing her when she left the festival would not work, not now with the Haedai royals watching her every move. No, she would be too well protected. He smiled gleefully then. His new plan would do the trick. It was time to show the Higurashi family that he still wanted them.

"Kanna," Naraku called. A child walked in without a sound. Her pale white skin and hair matched her white robes and the only color came from her soulless black eyes. Held in front of her by both hands was a mirror rimmed in silver. His ever obedient creation-a lost soul on the border between this life and the next.

"Hai, Naraku-sama," Kanna whispered monotonously. Not a single emotion ever graced her features. She was perfect-obedient, quiet, never questioning his orders and powerful.

"Send Kagura to the Taijiya village. It's time to set the trap."

"Hai, Naraku-sama." Kanna turned and left the room on silent feet. She never made any extra sound, not when she talked nor when she moved. It would have unnerved him except that he could sense where she was at all times. A link bound them together that could never be severed and it allowed him a confidence that she would never try to kill him like her sister Kagura thought of doing from time to time.

Naraku sat in a comfortable silence, still controlling his puppet while his mind wandered from thought to thought. Over the last six years, he had become quite good at creating his puppets. They no longer held his scent. But at the same time they were flawed. After many failed experiments, he finally found the right formula to create a puppet that did not hold _his_ scent but not a way to create one with a scent to mimic a youkai or human. Hopefully, Inuyasha would not notice his scentless creature. His father hadn't.

Turning back to his vigil, he sent his puppet to its assigned room only long enough so the rest of the guests would not be around to watch it. He then directed the puppet through the castle, trying to pinpoint where Inutaisho would take his son and Kagome. He might still be able to spy on them. If his puppet got caught, all Naraku had to do was cut the link and the puppet would be eaten away by a poison. If that happened, he would not be able to send another puppet but it was a risk he was willing to take to gather as much information as he could.

O o O o O o O o O

After the trek to Inutaisho's private study, Kagome sat next to her mother, sitting face-to-face with Inuyasha and his parents. Her nerve were already rubbed raw after meeting so many people and they grew worse as they had walked from the garden. She wasn't sure how Inutaisho would react to the fact she was the one to release Inuyasha.

"After giving it some thought, I have come up with the perfect way to repay you for breaking the seal on my son," Inutaisho began. "I propose a union between our two families. I'm offering for Kagome and Inuyasha to marry. This will solve your problem and show my willingness to help the family who released my son."

Kagome stared, wide eyed, at Inutaisho. This was not what she had expected. Gold, offers to place them in a palace of their own as befitting their true station and many gifts but not marriage. How could she marry someone who was as rude to her as Inuyasha and someone she hadn't know for more than an hour? It was ridiculous! It wasn't part of her mother's plan! Surely her mother would not go along with it.

"Hell no!" Inuyasha's own feelings mirrored her's. He felt his chest constrict in panic. He could not marry this girl. "I can't marry her! She's ugly and dumb and...and she smells weird!" he finished lamely.

Actually, it was just the opposite. After his initial reaction to her resemblance to Kikyou, he had found her quite beautiful. Even more so than Kikyou. Kagome radiated such warmth and kindness-when her anger finally settled-that it was hard to keep up his gruff exterior. And her scent was heavenly. He could get drunk off it.

But Kikyou's betrayal made his heart bleed. Sadness and grief haunted him. He longed for what could have been. Instead, he was left to live an empty life, second guessing everything the women around him did for him. He would never be this vulnerable again. No other woman would ever get that close, not even this Kagome with the sweet heady scent and kind eyes. No, he would not marry her for anything in the world. He wouldn't marry any one. Ever.

Kagome's mouth had fallen open in shock at his outburst. She closed it and watched Inuyasha warily. In his vehemence, Inuyasha had jumped up from his mat and made wild hand gestures, pointing to himself and then to her.

_Who __would __want __to__ marry __you __any way, __baka!_ Kagome held her tongue from screaming it aloud, knowing that her future hinged on making a powerful match.

Her mother stared off with dazzled eyes, not hearing Inuyasha's protests and already contemplating what the union would bring to their family. Obviously, her mother had no qualms of letting Kagome marry Inuyasha. It only made her feel dread. It would not be a happy marriage. Nor a companionable one. She had the sinking feeling they would spend their time either alone, separated from each other, or fighting. Neither was what she wanted in her marriage-even an arranged one.

"Sit down, Inuyasha," Lady Izayoi directed her son, voice raised authoritatively. "You will marry Kagome if that is our wish. She brought you back to us and we must repay her. Her family is in need of a powerful youkai family to protect her and fight for her. This solves both issues." Lady Izayoi looked at her husband.

"Hai, your mother is right. Sesshoumaru is protecting our border with Avaren and shows no sign of ever taking a mate. As my heir, he will someday have to marry to produce his own heir but that may not happen till after my death. As it is now, he still holds his grudge against you. Once I am gone, I cannot protect you. Marrying Kagome will give you your own kingdom and power which will force Sesshoumaru to be more civil." _It's __a __perfect __plan, __really,_ Inutaisho added to himself. He smiled inwardly and hoped his young son would see all the benefits.

Inuyasha stared at his parents as if they had grown two heads. His and Sesshoumaru's fight was between them. He did not need his parents to intervene. And what the hell did his father mean by his own kingdom? Avaren was ruled by the Higurashi house and the current ruler had just taken the throne five years back. Then Inuyasha remembered. Fifty years had come and gone while he was sealed. Many things could change in that amount of time. Sitting down again in annoyance, he tapped his index finger on his leg and looked anywhere but at the people in the room. "Who rules Avaren right now?" he asked gruffly.

His mother answered him matter-of-factly. "A youkai by the name of Naraku. He attack the Higurashi Palace six years ago and took over. Kagome's father, the former King, was killed protecting his wife and children. Kagome is now of age where she can rule. A war is coming, Inuyasha, one that Naraku started six years ago. He will stop at nothing to get his hands on Kagome. For what reasons, we do not know. But because of that, Mitsuko-san wants a powerful youkai match for her."

Inuyasha contemplated the news but did not stop tapping his finger against his leg. He didn't know why he had to marry her in order to give her aid. Couldn't they just sign a treaty of alliance or something? He looked back to his parents then at Kagome and her mother. Sighing and closing his eyes, he gave his answer, unsure if he would come to regret it. "Fine. I'll do it. Only on the condition that the wedding take place in a few months, after the girl and I have have had time to see if we can live with each other."

Inutaisho looked to Mitsuko and Kagome. Kagome nodded her head in agreement, still wary of Inuyasha, while her mother spoke. "Hai, that sounds fine."

"Good. I'll have the documents drawn up tonight and we can sign them in the morning," Inutaisho concluded.

Inuyasha stood and padded to the shoji doors. "Is my room still available," he asked without turning.

"Hai, we haven't changed a thing." Izayoi's voice held a wealth of feelings he could pick up-joy, sadness, fear, love, anxiety.

Inuyasha made a slight nod to show he heard before he left the room, closing the doors a bit louder than necessary. He made his way through the halls grumpily, hands stuffed into his haori sleeves. He loved his mother dearly but this was too much. He would not show weakness before his parents by acknowledging her whims. To him, it was jest yesterday that they had all sat together for breakfast discussing Kikyou-his mother ever teasing him that he needed a mate without fully realizing how serious his and Kikyou's relationship was. Things were different now. Kikyou was gone, his marriage arranged and he felt backed into a corner. So he did what he always did; he bared his teeth like the inu youkai he was, gruff, uncaring and trying to protect the last shred of his heart.

Once at his room, Inuyasha opened the delicate shoji doors and took in the old protection wards. He entered the familiar space, finally relaxing into his own territory and breathed in deep comforting breathes. It was not enough to stem the flow of memories that assaulted him.

The first was when he was a child, no more than five years old and played with a golden ball in the gardens of some human lord's house. It was the first time he had heard the word hanyou. The other children had stolen his ball and hit it out of reach, calling him a hanyou bastard. He had run to his mother after retrieving the ball and asked her what it meant.

His mother's beautiful eyes had shown with tears for the first time. He could not understand why she cried. She could couldn't speak, so great was her emotion and instead, only grasped him close to her to cry for him and the ignorant children.

Time had proved a useful tool. His smile was one of satisfaction. Every single person who had bullied him were either dead or dying from old age. And his father's kingdom, Haedai, had prospered into a glorious place were youkai, human and hanyou alike were accepted.

The next memories to hit him were of his half brother Sesshoumaru. They were just as unpleasant. There was the time he and Sesshoumaru had fought over their father's katana, Tenseiga and Tessaiga. Once their father had chosen who would get each sword, Sesshoumaru had fought him tooth and nail to try to prove to their father that he deserved Tessaiga more. The bastard hated being stuck with a katana that would not work for him.

Shaking his head to clear it, Inuyasha began to recall the many memories of himself and Kikyou. Before he had gotten up the nerve to talk to her in person, he had stayed near her to just watch and protect her. She was a solitary woman who enjoyed the company of her younger sister and the village children. She helped many of the villagers with their day to day injuries and illnesses with her powers but didn't socialize beyond that with the adults.

In retrospect, she was very distrustful. He remembered the first time they had met. He had made the mistake of getting too close she had retaliated by shooting two warning arrows at him. Slowly, over a six month period, Inuyasha eventually broke down her defenses and gained some of her trust but only enough to walk with her side by side in silence. That had been three weeks before she allowed him to talk to her and touch her.

Once, Inuyasha had taken her on a boat ride down the river. He wanted to watch the sunset with her. The bittersweet memory made him chock up. It was the first time he had ever taken her into his arms, hugging her after Kikyou tripped on a loose plank of wood upon their return to the dock. How could she have trusted him enough to let him hold her like that and then two weeks later, scorn him? It didn't make sense.

Padding over to the other side of his room, Inuyasha opened a shoji door that led to his own private garden. He looked out over the night and saw that the garden had been well maintained while he was sealed. It was his one true secret haven, the place he went when he felt overly emotional and couldn't face anyone-the place he went when he considered himself weak to recover his strength. Bounding up to his favorite spot on his favorite tree, he settled against the branches and watched the stars.

His mind took back to the days he shared with Kikyou. And a suspicion nagged at him-a new found feeling that would not go away. A feeling that Kikyou's death was not as it seemed. When Kikyou finally placed her trust in someone, she trusted them wholeheartedly because her trust was so hard to win. How was it, then, that one moment she had been willing to give up the Shikon no Tama into his care-to allow him to use it to make him fully human-then in the next moment, try to kill him? He had to find out.

Inuyasha stood up on the branch, a decision made. He would keep his memories of Kikyou locked away in his heart, always there as a remembrance to her. When, not if, but when he solved the mystery that surrounded her death, he could then look to the future again.

For now, he would accept the marriage agreement and do as his parents wished but that girl, Kagome, would not enter his heart. He would not let that happen. He couldn't afford the pain that loosing someone else he cared for would cause. Or the betrayal if history repeated itself.

He already felt ashamed. He had allowed Kikyou to seal him, hadn't noticed any changes in her personality and hadn't _protected_ her. He felt betrayed, not only _because_ she sealed him, but also because her fears had weakened her to _something_. He needed to know what it was. It was the only thing Inuyasha could do.

Turing back to his room, he began to make plans. Inuyasha would first see if he could track down Kaede and get her side of the story. Then, if Kaede gave him any leads as to the man behind it, he would find him and kill him. It was that simple.

His mind set, Inuyasha closed the shoji door and sat with his back against the door. Soon he was fast asleep, propped up with his hands resting comfortably in his sleeves.

O o O o O o O o O

Hundreds of miles away, in Avaren, Naraku grinned in the dark. No one had detected his puppet. He had gotten his information and what a juicy tidbit it was. _So __the __hanyou __and __miko __heir __will __marry. __How__ fitting._ Naraku chuckled.

He expected Inuyasha to come after him at some point and the girl would follow. He could tell she had a soft spot for him, just a small one, but one none-the-less. She would not leave the hanyou alone. And he counted on that. For when Inuyasha let down his guard, Naraku would strike and take the girl away.


	5. Chapter 4: The First Journey

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. It's all thanks to Takahashi Rumiko. ^_^

Author's Note: Thanks once again for all the reviews.

Definitions:

Sugegasa – a sedge hat, the same type of hat that Sango wore in episode 78—Aiming for Sango, Only You—while it rained.

Torii – a Shinto shrine gate that sits at the entrance. I've placed one at the entrance to Aniri to denote it's sacredness.

Pronunciations:

Aniri - Ah*near*ree

**Spellbound Destiny**

**Chapter 4: The First Journey**

Kagome sat in a daze. She watched her mother look over the betrothal documents with glazed eyes. After she had left the study last night, Kagome had found it hard to fall asleep. She instead got up from her futon and walked to the gardens that connected with their room two hours after they had settled down for bed.

She went through so many emotional tirades while alone, it was shocking that she could function today. A tree that sat in the middle beckoned her and, while she kept her voice no more than a whisper, took out her anger and frustration and sadness on it. She was a bit embarrassed that anyone passing by the tree this morning would see several furrows in the bark where she had run the edge of a hair pin across it.

Kagome cradled her hand in her lap. Her kimono sleeve and the ivory paint her mother used on her face hid a few red spots from anyone else's view. The hair pin scratching had helped but it wasn't enough. She then added to the tree's problem by hitting it a few times. She paid more for that than the poor tree and Kagome felt even worse for taking her emotions out on another living thing, even if it was a plant. She was usually very good at keeping herself in check but too much was happening too fast.

Coming back to the present, Kagome watched her mother produced the Higurashi seal. Mitsuko placed it in the ink pan and stamped it where Inutaisho indicated. It was done, her fate sealed with that damning mark. Kagome was officially betrothed to Inuyasha.

She chanced a quick look at Inuyasha-who sat across and to her right. His ears twitched at the littlest thing-the sound of the parchment rattling, a servant walking beyond their room, leaves rustling outside from a gust of wind. His claws tapped impatiently on his arms, then his legs and the ground. His hair shown a bright silver in the early morning light and his deep golden eyes gleamed with annoyance.

He didn't seem to be any happier about it than she. While Kagome kept her deeper feelings hidden within herself, allowing only small outbursts when no one could see her, Inuyasha seemed to share them to the world. He wore his anger and grumpiness like a badge on his sleeve. Could the reason be because he _wanted_ to keep people away? It was at once intimidating and saddening.

Kagome never seemed to dwell too much on the fact he was a hanyou but that would have made his early life hard. This was his way of coping with the view the world held against hanyou born children. She could see that clearly all of a sudden, like a veil had been lifted from her eyes. The rumors that abounded from her tutors' mouths all bespoke of his grumpiness and gruff nature. He distanced himself from others and didn't trust so easily. But to her, the fact he was a hanyou didn't bother her one bit. She like it, actually.

It also made his and Kikyou's story all the more tragic. Though Kagome didn't know the specific details, history had written about his love for Kikyou and how it was betrayed. Inuyasha's adamant refusal to marry her was because he couldn't trust her yet. Maybe he didn't _want_ to trust her like he had with Kikyou. The one person who he had opened up to betrayed him and that must have hurt him dearly. Hurt enough to push him back into the tough guy shell he wore.

Maybe she could get him to tell her about Kikyou? It would help her to understand his true feelings. She didn't want to become angry every time they were together. She wanted to see beyond his mask to the man he was underneath. She knew there had to be more to him than what he currently portrayed and she wanted what her mother had had with her father-love. If it was possible, she had to know what was going on in that head of his. And maybe the first step would be to control her own anger? It was worth a shot. She would try to call a truce of sorts with him.

The thought warmed her in a strange way. The things she had felt last night upon first seeing him came back to her and she steadfastly refused to dwell on them. Not yet. First, she wanted to get to know him. Then she would shift to herself.

Lost in her thoughts, Kagome didn't notice that Inuyasha and herself were the only ones left in the room. Inuyasha took the opportunity-while she was distracted-to look at her again. She was quite striking against the rays of early morning light that shone through an open shoji door. The kimono she wore only enhanced her beauty: the rich royal plum purple and white patterned with pink sakura blossoms and golden dragons played to her paler skin tone and rich blue-black hair.

Her emotions danced across her face like an open book, eyes so expressive they exposed the very essence of her soul if one just bothered to look. She didn't hide anything when she believed no one watched her. She was so unlike Kikyou, it was actually refreshing.

Inuyasha's thoughts turned back to Kikyou. It had taken a long time for him to get Kikyou to open up to him. It grew tiring to guess constantly what the woman he loved felt. With Kagome, there wasn't any need to guess. Yet he still didn't feel comfortable letting her in on his secrets. He couldn't give her that power.

Unable to stand the silence any longer, or his own thoughts, Inuyasha made the first move. "Oi, wench, if we don't leave now, we're going to be late for breakfast." The words were thrown over his shoulder as he moved to the doors.

Kagome shook her head. She watched his figure move almost out of sight beyond the other side of the door. "Breakfast?" Kagome asked dumbly. She hadn't realized that they were done with the betrothal contract. She must appear really stupid to Inuyasha, always staring off into nothing and inhabiting her own thoughts. She stood up with a blush and followed Inuyasha down the hallways. Though Kagome had just made up her mind to talk to him, ask him about himself, for the life of her, she couldn't get her voice to work nor think of a suitable question to ask. So instead, she stayed silent.

They arrived at the dinning hall, sat themselves upon the dais's mats and watched as Inutaisho greeted the other guests. He silenced the crowd once they were all seated and announced Inuyasha's and Kagome's engagement.

Amid the thunderous applause and congratulations, Kouga balled his hands on his legs. His claws dug painfully into his fur but he didn't care. He watched from his position in the back of the room with narrowed eyes. His anger was hidden from their view by some of the guests but he saw them perfectly and threw them hostile stares. That _mutt_ had stolen his woman. He couldn't make a move now, not within Inutaisho's palace under a temporary peace agreement, but once this week's festival was over, he was going to prove that Kagome belonged to him and no other would have her.

Several feet away, hidden behind a servant's door, a monk dressed in black and purple robes watched the breakfast feast through a slight crack. Spying wasn't his best area of expertise but, upon occasion, it served him well.

When he had entered the throne room yesterday evening to preform the opening ceremonies, and spotted the honored guests, the monk had recognized the names as well as the house colors of the two women. They were of the Higurashi family. And now with Inuyasha awake again, he knew what would come. They would go after Naraku. And he would join them. Any information he could gather about the two would be useful for the future.

Miroku turned from the door and closed it silently behind him. He would reveal himself after all the guests left. For now, he would go back to the shrine and contemplate life's many ironic twists.

O o O o O o O o O

A beautiful giant white feather landed on the ground. Its sole passenger daintily stepped off before it transformed back into its normal two inch size. A delicate feminine hand tipped in manicured nails trapped the feather as it floated down to the earth between her index and middle finger. She placed it back in her coiffured ebony tresses alongside its twin.

Kagura walked towards the village with purpose. It had taken time to find but she _had_ found it. The hidden village of the Taijiya. All Naraku had said was to take a horde of his youkai servants to the village and attack. He never lifted his own hand in the dirty work. Not in finding the places he sent her nor in their actual destruction.

Kagura scoffed. Naraku's orders to her were always like that: to the point with no extra detail. She was expected to do everything and she couldn't imagine what he had up his sleeves. But she had to obey him. Her hand moved to where her heart should have been, knowing the empty cavity ached with phantom pain. Her true heart sat in a locked chest among Naraku's many treasures in his private room. Where it would remain until he deigned to give it back to her. In sustained her through some force of power that was unimaginable to her and she never really understood how it was that she lived without it. Or how he could inflict pain on her while was so far away from him at times.

But that was a problem she couldn't solve just yet. Until the day arrived when she would be free, she had to follow out Naraku's orders. Turning back to her task, Kagura continued to walk to the village's sole entrance and lifted her right hand. Clasped between her fingers rested a closed fan-her weapon of choice. Without a word, she signaled the horde of youkai to attack by opening the fan and waving it across the air in the direction of the fence. It stirred up wind that quickly turned into gusts and gales. This was her power. And with it, she would gain her freedom. Someday.

The horde moved as if one being. Fire, water, wind and destruction hailed down across the landscape. Children screamed and ran in chaos to find a hiding spot. The women dropped their laundry baskets and food crates and tried to gather as many of the children as they could. But the horde came down too fierce. What few men where left in the village-the old, sick and young-could not protect them against the hundreds of youkai that bombarded the village.

The dirt became a river of blood. The bodies piled up, fleshless, where they fell from the mouths of the youkai. The houses burned bright red and orange and the once blue sky turned black from smoke. Kagura watched, emotionless. She felt nothing at the site of such senseless destruction. She could not afford to feel. Those emotions would make her job harder and make her vulnerable to Naraku, something she could never let happen if she wanted her freedom.

Kagura turned from the site of the village, took out her feather and jumped onto it. She make her way back "home." Her job was done. And in the back of her mind, she wondered, why was it so easy? The Taijiya were youkai slayers after all. It should have been a much harder fight.

Once she landed on the grounds of the hidden castle, the answer became obvious to her. The entrance was littered with dead bodies. These were the warriors of the Taijiya, dressed in fine youkai bone armor and their weapons discarded and forgotten. Naraku's plan had been quite underhanded. He lured out the warriors and sent her to attack the weaker unprotected village.

Kagura squinted, trying to gain more focus. One spot lay empty, the blood pooled in the form of a body. She looked up to the castle entrance and spied Naraku with his arms cradling a human girl in his arms.

Naraku turned his head to her. "Good work, Kagura." Then continued on his way with the limp body.

Kagura bit her lip, silencing her need to ask him what he was doing. It shouldn't be any of her business. But somehow, she felt it was. Angry with herself, Kagura turned and walked to a far corner of the castle estate-her own private sanctuary. If Naraku needed her again, all he had to do was send Kanna to get her. Whether she would go right away was debatable.

O o O o O o O o O

The rest of the week passed in a whirl for Kagome. She couldn't keep up with all the people who had congratulated her on her soon to be marriage. She avoided being alone with Inuyasha and only sat near him when she had to during meals. His grumpiness was getting on her nerves. She didn't know how she was going to live with the man. He had called her every foul word she knew of and some she didn't-called her by anything other than her name. She thought she had figured him out but now, Kagome was just confused. Maybe it wasn't going to be as easy as she had first thought.

The day after the guests had left found Kagome bored from the lack of activities. She sat on a rock in the front gardens, staring at nothing in particular and letting her thoughts wander. Inuyasha's face appeared before her and she wondered where he was and what he was doing. Was he having fun? Taking a nap? Maybe even getting reacquainted with the world?

The stray thoughts immediately had her fuming. She shouldn't _want_ to know anything about him or what he did. He wasn't nice to her and acted more like a child than Souta. He wasn't worth her time but that didn't matter. Her anger cooled and she remembered how the sun glinted off his silver hair. How his ears were so cute, all she wanted to do was take her hands up to those oh so soft furry ears and rub them. Instead, she sighed and tamped down that crazy urge, going back to staring at the plants around her.

Inuyasha stood alone in his room, contemplating what he needed to do. His week had been spent doing his parents bidding while secretly forming his plan. The first stop he needed to make was the village on the border between Avaren and Haedai, called Aniri. It was the village Kikyou had often met with him in and, if his memory didn't fail him, Kaede also stopped by with her from time to time. The older villagers, if they were still alive, might know where he could find Kaede. And maybe Kaede had sought refuge there. It was worth a try.

Inuyasha made a final check of his room. He didn't need much for the trip. A little bit of money in case he had to sleep indoors and enough food to get him through until night fall when he could hunt. He wasn't one for sleeping in bed rolls or at inns, preferring to sleep up in the branches of trees where he could be semi-alert for enemies. His fire rat fur haori and hakama would be enough protection from any small threat that lurked out in the open and he had his claws for anything bigger.

Nodding his head in satisfaction, Inuyasha turned to the door and headed out. He knew he couldn't sneak off without alerting his father. Inutaisho's full youkai blood allowed him to smell anyone coming or going and his hearing was top notch. He heard things from all over the city and it was only intense training that allowed him to selectively dim sounds that were not a threat up to the household grounds. His father would be on him in as soon as his feet were off the palace grounds.

To prevent that from happening, he timed it perfectly to leave when his father took a quick trip after the festival to see to some business in a neighboring province. And with his father now gone for the next few hours, he only had to slip past his mother. His _human_ mother. She did not have the same senses as his father so she would not know right away that he was missing.

And his plan was working perfectly. His mother sat in her usual garden, flower gazing, unable to see who moved through the palace. But a snag came when Inuyasha barely made it past the front doors. Kagome sat half way between him and the front gates, gazing into empty air. There was no way he could move to the front gates without her noticing him.

Swearing softly, Inuyasha searched the rest of the front entrance. He could go left, towards a corner, and hope she didn't catch him from her periphery vision. Human eye sight was worse than a youkai but could still be clear enough to catch his blur as he ran past. But it was the best plan if he didn't want to talk to her.

Inuyasha ran in a wide half circle. His heart pounded a little harder and he felt the blood rush to his ears as they flicked back and forth every few seconds to check on her. But at the last minute, Kagome turned her head a bit more to the left and caught sight of his running red blur.

She stood from her spot and made to move toward him. "Where are you going?"

His ears flattened to his skull as he came to a halt and gazed at her with guilty eyes. "Out," he said nonchalantly. He tried to act like it didn't matter.

Kagome scrutinized him. Somehow she didn't believe he was just leaving for no reason. "Where?"

"It's none of your business!" Inuyasha answered defensively.

"It is my business when it concerns you. You'll be my husband soon and we can't keep secrets from each other."

"Look, I'm just going to see if I can find out where the Shikon no Tama is. It doesn't concern you."

"I can help."

"No."

Kagome moved to stand in front of him, her hands on her hips and her chocolate brown eyes staring daggers into his golden ones. "You can't do everything by yourself. You've been sealed away for fifty years. Things have changed."

"No. This is about Kikyou and the Shikon no Tama. It has nothing to do with you. I will not have some silly human girl following me everywhere, getting in my way." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew he said the wrong thing. But he would not feel guilty about it.

For some reason Kagome didn't understand, his words hurt deep. She knew he had only just met her a week ago and they could not be the best of friends in so little time but it still hurt-his complete disregard of her. He wasn't even trying to make her feel like a part of his life. What would happen when they married finally? She knew she had been avoiding him but it was because she didn't know how to act around him. He made her feel so many different emotions, she felt as if she had no control around him.

Kagome masked the tears that threatened to fall with anger. "Baka!" she yelled. "Baka, baka, baka!" Kagome turned and walked a few steps away from him-the better to hide her face. Why was she so emotional around him? Why couldn't he understand she just wanted to be a part of his life, to understand him and what motivated him? To help him as a wife should? It wasn't the perfect marriage she had dreamed of but they could make it work if they tried. He just had to let her in.

Inuyasha smelled the saltiness of her tears and stared helplessly at her back. He hadn't meant to hurt her but it wasn't her problem. He had to deal with Kikyou himself. Inuyasha sighed. Maybe she _could_ be of use to him. She had made a good point. Fifty years could change a lot and the quiet village of Aniri he remembered may not be as it once was.

"Fine, you can come," he relented grudgingly. "But I will be moving fast and plan to sleep outside," he added to try to detour her.

Kagome turned back to him with a smile. Her eyes shone with gratitude and glistened slightly with unshed tears. Inuyasha's heart gave a slight tug. It felt good to have her smile turned to him. And to see her happy. She felt deep emotions that amazed him. Her face was so expressive, it was like a breath of fresh air to him. Usually people showed hate, disgust or dislike of him-except his mother and father-that it was hard to remember that people felt other things too. She made it easier to see those other emotions.

To distract himself, he opened his mouth to tell her that she would have to ride on his back when a throat cleared and took their attention away from each other. Inuyasha and Kagome turned to see the monk in purple and black robes from the ceremonies approach them. He walked steadily toward them, in no hurry. _What __the __hell __is__ it__ now?_ Inuyasha's stealthy escape was ruined. He was just impatient to leave now and not run into his father.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the monk said after he reached them. "I'm Miroku."

Miroku's hand moved without their notice to caress Kagome's behind. She yelped and jumped away from him. Inuyasha moved without thought to protected her and raised a hand to the monk in clear warning.

"Forgive me, it's a curse," Miroku said on a laugh.

Inuyasha looked at him warily. "What do you want, bozu?"

Miroku became serious. He lifted his right hand and gazed at the cloth and pray beads that covered it. He then turned back to the couple who stood before him. "I know about your alliance. I know that you will be going after Naraku soon. I would like to offer my services. I-"

"Your services?" Inuyasha interrupted. He made sure he could see the monk's hands at all times.

Miroku lifted his hand to show them. "Underneath this sealing cloth and pray beads, there's a hole in my hand. It was a curse that Naraku placed on my grandfather that is passed from father to son. It allows me to suck anything into it. I also seek Naraku's death. It is the only way to get rid of the curse before the curse kills me. I thought I could be of some help to you since we are all after the same thing."

"No. I don't need any more help!" Kami-sama, he was so _sick_ of everyone offering to help him. He did not _need_ any more help. He was old enough to do things on his own and his private affairs about Kikyou and the Shikon no Tama were just that: _private_.

Kagome tugged at his bawled fist. He hadn't even realized he clenched his hands. He allowed Kagome to take hold of his hand and tried to relax. Even still, his eyebrow twitched and he couldn't keep his anger from showing just a little bit.

"Inuyasha, you haven't met Naraku. You don't know how evil he is. The more people who are against him, the better. We should take him up on his offer. " Kagome, the ever voice of reason, pleaded with him.

"Fine!" Inuyasha wrenched his hand out of hers and stormed off out of the palace. He didn't even blink an eye at the odd looks the guards gave him or look back to see if he had hurt Kagome's hand. He just needed to leave, get his answers and be done with it. And fight this Naraku. But he'd deal with that after he found the Shikon no Tama.

Kagome smiled slightly up at Miroku, her hand resting by her side unhurt-she had anticipated his move and loosened her hold enough so the force wouldn't hurt her. "Just keep your hands to yourself. Inuyasha has a bad temper." She turned and ran out of the palace, following Inuyasha's fuming figure.

Miroku blinked in amazement then followed after them. He hadn't expected it to be that easy, to have Inuyasha agree without much of an argument.

They were entering the market place, which led to the outside gates, when Miroku caught up with them. By then, they had slowed to a fast walk. "So, where are we going?"

"Oi, who said you could come? We aren't going to attack Naraku right now." Inuyasha was still mad. His father would likely be returning soon and he wasn't far enough away from home as he would have liked. The ruckus at the front gates probably alerted his mother, and if not her, then some of the servants. His father might be close on their heels soon.

"Inuyasha! He offered to help so let him help!"

"Keh." Inuyasha folded his hands into his sleeves, closed his eyes and continued walking.

Miroku looked to Kagome. Kagome shook her head. "All I know is that we're going to a village Inuyasha thinks holds information on the Shikon no Tama."

"Aniri. The place is called Aniri."

Miroku placed a hand on his chin in thought. "Aniri is a border village. It might not be wise to go there right now." Inuyasha looked at him with a glare. "What I mean is that because it sits on the edge of Avaren, Naraku may have it watched."

"We're going." Inuyasha didn't say more, just kept on walking to the gates. Kagome and Miroku kept pace beside him and stayed silent. Neither were sure of what they could talk about-either to themselves or with Inuyasha-in Inuyasha's current mood.

It wasn't until the sun started to set that Inuyasha became aware of the impending night fall and the two humans with him. He realized that neither had brought bed rolls, clothes or food. His food was already gone since they had eaten it for lunch. And of course, Inuyasha was too angry about his messed up plans to stop at the markets for more food and supplies before they left Kisashi.

"Oi, bozu, do you know where we can stay the night?"

"On this path?" Miroku answered absentmindedly. He thought for a few minutes, mentally routing their path against the places he knew on the northern route to Avaren. "At the next fork, if we go right, we'll come to a good sized village called Chiso. It wasn't there the last time you were awake." Inuyasha nodded and they fell silent again.

It was sometime before the fork in the road came up. Inuyasha took the right path as Miroku had directed and soon after, they entered the village of Chiso. It was one of the few all human villages in Haedai, housing mainly farmers. There were four taverns, two of which had space for guests to spend the night, it's own small market place and one stately manor house-which housed the village elder.

Miroku took the lead and passed the taverns to make a straight line for the manor house. He ignored Inuyasha's attempts to stop him, not bothering to explain.

Once at the manor house, Miroku knocked lightly. Inuyasha and Kagome stood slightly behind him to give him enough room to talk semi-privately. An old wizened man slid open the plain but still elegant shoji door. After a few words, the old man waved them in. Kagome and Inuyasha caught the last bit of the man's sentence. "-and after what you have done for this village, it's an honor to have you back."

The old man showed them to a fairly large room. "You can stay here for the night. I'll get a partition to give the young lady some privacy." The old man headed out and was back in a few minutes, cloth and a wooden stand in hand. He set up the partition quickly then left again.

"So, how come we can stay here?" Kagome directed at Miroku.

"As one of my many duties as a monk, I've traveled to several of the villages within a two to three day walking distance from Kisashi. I go to help the villages with minor youkai or spirit problems or just to give guidance. I saved the elder's granddaughter when she was possessed by a spirit. Since then, whenever I need to find a place to rest for a night, he has always offered it."

Kagome looked to Inuyasha as a young girl no more than thirteen walked in with a tray of steaming food. "See, he's not all bad."

The young girl blushed as she set the tray down in front of Miroku. She looked up quickly to get a glimpse of his face then rushed out shyly with a giggle.

"Was that the granddaughter?" Kagome was curious to lean more about the monk. The life of a monk was one aspect of the religious life she knew next to nothing about.

"Hai. Her name is Yukiko. She is a refugee from Avaren. When her parents died on the border, she was lucky enough to find someone who knew her grandfather doing business close by. Since she arrived here, she's been a very quiet, shy and somewhat distant girl. When I saved her that day a year ago, she spoke for the first time, telling me thank you." Miroku spoke softly, fondly, as he served the food to his two companions. Those were happier days for him. In the last year, his Kazana-the curse in his hand-had started to grow, becoming an inch in diameter instead of the half inch size it used to be. He wasn't sure how long he had left but he knew it was only a matter of a few years. Maybe five if he was lucky but he guessed more like three. It was the driving force behind his insistence of joining his current companions.

Kagome looked to the door, where the girl had left moments ago, feeling for her. "How sad. I'm glad she had a relative here though. She was close to Souta's age when she left."

"Souta?" Miroku asked. He wasn't familiar with the name. He knew of the Higurashi house but not the names of all the members.

"My younger brother. He was six when Naraku attacked. The girl must have been close to seven."

"I didn't know you had a brother."

"My mother decided to leave Souta and Jii-chan at home but Inutaisho has offered to relocate them to the palace until we get our own home back. You'll probably meet them soon."

Inuyasha sat in silence and listened to the small talk Miroku and Kagome made while they ate. It was...comforting...to have them there. It was a strange feeling for him. He wasn't used to having people around him. Most people outside his home thought him an evil youkai and left him alone. Or they knew who he was and tended to him, as befitting his station, but did so cautiously with fear in their hearts and eyes. Not many people had become friends with him. In fact, Kikyou and her sister, Kaede, had been his first true friends.

Done with dinner, Inuyasha stood up to position himself by the shoji door. He sat crossed legged with his hands in his sleeves and closed his eyes, ready for sleep. "Oi, cut the chatter. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," he said without looking up at Kagome and Miroku.

His two companions stared at him. They said their good nights and moved to ready their futons. Yukiko came back to clear away the empty plates, still not able to look straight at Miroku, without a sound other than her quiet foot steps. Once the oil lamps were blown out, they fell asleep.

The next morning dawned with heavy gray clouds the blotted out the sun. They ate breakfast with the village elder and his granddaughter and set out again with gifts from their hosts. The old man was kind enough to give them some extra food and three wide sugegasa to protect them from the inevitable rain.

They spent the next four days in much the same routine. They would walk until the sun began to set. Then Miroku would tell Inuyasha where the next village was located. Upon entering the villages, Miroku always took them to the grandest house with tales of how he saved the village or the village leader's family.

In the early afternoon of the fifth day, they made it to Aniri. It was much as Inuyasha remembered. A bit bigger with some new houses but still a small border village. The people that worked in the fields planting rice looked at them strangely. Some even ran away, afraid of Inuyasha. Just before they came to the torii, a group of villagers led an old woman towards them. She had the proud bearing of a miko with the long robes to match. Her long bow was clasped in one hand and an arrow in the other ready for use. An eye patch covered her right eye.

Inuyasha stopped. The old woman walked slowly to them, wheezing from the exertion and used her long bow as a make-shift cane every few steps. She stared first at Inuyasha then at Kagome, her one good eye widening. She waved off the group of villagers behind her.

"It's okay. They aren't here to harm us." The villagers hesitated but the old woman became more adamant. "Do not worry yourselves. I still have some power left in my old bones if they try anything. I doubt they will, though."

The villagers left, going back to their work, after a few grumbled words and dark glances. The old woman turned back to the three travelers. "I wondered when you would come, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked at the woman with narrowed eyes. She didn't look like anyone he might have known. "Oi, do I know you?"

"It's been many years but, yes, you do. My name is Kaede. I'm Kikyou's younger sister."

Inuyasha openly stared at her. She looked so different from the girl she had been. Granted, she was only seven when he met her last but he should have been able to see some resemblance in her face of that young girl.

"Come, let us move to my hut to talk." Kaede motioned to the path behind her as she spoke.

The group moved up the long winding stairs that led to the village proper. Inuyasha remembered that Aniri held a small miko school, the place Kikyou had taught while she was alive, and housed a shrine to a miner god. Kaede's hut sat between the school and the shrine.

Upon entering, Kaede's small hut held a profusion of medicinal herbs and the scents that assaulted their noses were strong with hints of mint. Kaede motioned for them to sit around a cooking fire in the middle of her hut. A rabbit and vegetable stew was roasting for lunch.

Soon, Inuyasha would get his answers. He was happy that Kaede still lived and he had found her without much trouble. He accepted a bowl of the stew and sat comfortably, ready to begin questioning her.


	6. Chapter 5: The Forgotten Healer

Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Inuyasha. Takahashi Rumiko is the mastermind. ^_^

Author's Note: I know my story is close to the original in many ways right now; I wanted it to be like that-reminiscent of the original story we all know and love. In the next few chapters, though, the differences will begin to show. Do not worry, this isn't a rehashing of the original storyline. There are many things that will not be happening and some new things I hope you all will enjoy. ^_^

**Spellbound Destiny**

**Chapter 5: The Forgotten Healer**

Naraku sat in his private chambers, comfortable and relaxed. Only those who he wanted to find him could. It was perfect-his genius hiding spot. He hid his true base inside a portal deep within the Avaren Palace. This insured complete privacy. Upon a mere whim, he could create portals throughout the world to let someone in or out with out anyone the wiser. There was one set up in a location only known to him and his offspring, Kanna and Kagura, in fact. One that was hidden in plain sight but no one would ever think to look there.

A young woman stirred beside him, coming awake for the first time in the last week. She sat up slowly and placed a hand on her head. Naraku turned to her, a tray of steaming liquid by his side. "Do not move too quickly," he said. "You suffered some deep wounds. Your body has only just healed."

"Where am I? Who are you?" The young woman looked up at the stranger, disoriented and unable to remember anything. Her mind felt fuzzy, laden down with invisible wires. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it but it did no good.

"Here, drink this." Naraku handed her the cup that sat beside him. She took it gratefully, and, thinking it was hot tea, gulped it down. The bitter taste startled her; it wasn't like any tea she had every had before. She coughed and sputtered and managed to drag some of the liquid down the wrong way.

"What is that?" she asked him, her mind numbing even more. She felt off, not completely right or there with the man mentally.

"Do not concern yourself with that. Just listen to my voice." Naraku waited until she nodded slowly before continuing. "I found you wounded outside my castle. You told me your village had been attacked by a hanyou in red with long silver hair and inu ears. I've heard of him. His name is Inuyasha."

The girl looked at him with glazed eyes, her mind accepting his lies. "I want you to find him and bring me back the young human girl that is with him. He kidnapped her from me."

The girl nodded again. "Where can I find him?"

"He's at a village called Aniri. I'll take you close by. Wait until either the girl is alone or they leave the village. There is a young monk with them. I have something that will stop him for a time. Do not concern yourself with him."

The girl looked up at him and accepted his orders. She felt as if she shouldn't reject them. As if something was desperately wrong but a foggy haze danced inside her mind. It made it difficult to think of anything other than the man's voice.

"Your clothes and weapons are next to you. You may leave whenever you are ready."

She stood from her futon and gazed at her bandaged body. She remembered the wound on her back, the jagged cut along her arm, the various shallow cuts and bruises she had sustained from the fight. She could not tell what weapon had caused them, however; or who had given them to her. That part of her memory became too fuzzy for her to make out. It made her head ache horribly. Instead, she shied away from them and concentrated only on what the man told her. She dressed swiftly without a care of who saw her and placed her giant youkai bone boomerang, Hiraikotsu, gingerly on her back.

"I'm ready," she said to Naraku. He inclined his head slightly and opened a portal that connected close to Aniri. Before she stepped through, he placed a bee hive in her hand. She looked down at it, puzzled, then her mind clouded over and an incessant voice drummed in her head to leave, to do as she was ordered. She turned without a word and left, not even caring that man never mentioned his name.

Naraku watched the portal close. He turned back to his original task and gazed with unseeing eyes across the room at the wall. Inside his head, he watched Kagome-through the eyes of one of his small youkai servants-as she went with an old woman to a hut.

Recollection stroked his mind. Kikyou's younger sister. He had forgotten all about her. He'd watched her for years after Kikyou's death, checking up on her to make sure she was no threat to him. He stopped his vigilance when she'd matured and the only truly powerful miko abilities she possessed were for healing. She could not heal him to death so he left her to her own devices. It was amazing to see that she still lived.

Though she could not harm him physically, she could teach Kagome all she knew about miko abilities. He should have dealt with her before, when she was a child, right after Kikyou's death. It was too late now. Hopefully she didn't remember him.

Naraku turned back to watching Kagome with hungry eyes. He wasn't sure where the Shikon no Tama would be in her body but he would find it. Once he grasped it in his hand, he could use her in any other way he pleased. Kikyou had rebuffed him time and again but this girl was different, more naïve. He could coax her into doing anything once he slithered into her mind-a taxing yet useful skill.

Naraku chuckled to himself, happy for the first time in ages. Yes, things were falling into place perfectly. The Shikon no Tama would be his, the girl would be his, the world would be his. All he had to do was wait a few more days. He could be a bit more patient.

O o O o O o O o O

Inuyasha sat while his eyebrow twitched and a foot tapped the wooden boards in time with his finger on his leg. He was annoyed. They were sitting in Kaede's hut-for a hour now. Lunch was done. The clean up was done. Yet his two human companions just kept on chit-chatting with the old woman. None bothered to turn to him to see what information he wanted from Kaede.

"Oi, baba," Inuyasha interrupted rudely. "We didn't come here to enjoy your company."

The three humans became quiet. Kaede turned to him. "Inuyasha, you do not have to be rude. An old woman like me enjoys the company of anyone who wishes to stay here. We'll get to your pressing need soon." Kaede turned back to Kagome and Miroku and finished up on her tale. She then turned and gave Inuyasha her full attention. "Well? What is it you wished to ask me?"

Inuyasha sat up straighter. Anger curled inside his stomach and made him feel snappy. "Your Kikyou's sister, you should know what happened to the Shikon no Tama."

Kaede stared at him with her one good eye, looking for any indication that he was worthy of her knowledge. She grunted with a nod. For all his rudeness and forcefulness, Inuyasha would never use the jewel for evil. He may not be worthy of using its powers at all but he could protect it from those who wished to harm others with it.

"The Shikon no Tama was burned with Kikyou's body, as per her instructions. I do not know if it has been reborn, where it would be or any idea of how to go about finding it." Kaede turned her strong, one-eyed gaze on Kagome. "Kagome, however, might be able to sense it. Our family has had strong ties to renowned miko throughout the world. I sense a power in her that has only just begun to show itself. With a little bit of training, she could use her powers to find it."

"Kaede-san, can you tell me about Kikyou and yourself?" Kagome asked. She was truly curious about her long deceased relative. And Inuyasha had gotten his answer, now she wanted some of her own. Her family, in particular, were somewhat mysterious about the two miko sisters and who better to get their history from than one of them?

Kaede looked thoughtful. "You weren't taught much about us, were you?" Kagome shook her head. Kaede sighed. "I thought as much. We are the embarrassments of the family. I will start at the beginning.

"It is well known that our family line has ruled Avaren for hundreds of years-maybe even thousands. Our one rule for those who inherit the throne is that they must be honorable, duty bound people. Gender doesn't matter. Kikyou and I are your grandfather's cousins. Since your grandfather did not have any siblings, Kikyou was second in line for the throne and I was third. Until Kikyou possessed the Shikon no Tama.

"Kikyou's miko powers showed early. She was sent away to school and graduated as the youngest pupil to the greatest master ever known. She was only eight. When she turned ten, strangers came to our palace. They came in youkai bone armor, spoke in an accent no one could place and bore a jewel of exquisite beauty-one that made all the youkai near by go crazy. They asked one simple thing: for Kikyou to become the jewel's new master. When her abilities reached their ears, they knew she was the only one capable enough to take on the task of caring for the Shikon no Tama.

"Kikyou took her bow and shot down every youkai that attacked while the strangers asked and pleaded with her to take the jewel. She defended her home and her people and, of course, accepted the task. The bodies of the many youkai barely grew cold before they placed it in her hand. Upon her touch, the jewel-which had been a deep blackish purple-immediately flashed and changed to the most beautiful shining purple-pink anyone had seen. She had instantly purified the evilness inside the jewel. Their choice of bearer had been correct.

"Kikyou accept her duty without a qualm. It was what our family expected of her. It also destroyed her claim to the throne. Her duty to the Shikon no Tama superseded any other duty. If, for any reason, she had to choose between the kingdom and the jewel, the jewel would win every time. So I became second in line.

"For six years, she distanced herself from the palace. She moved from place to place, killing youkai who were after the jewel until she met a hanyou in this village. That was you, Inuyasha. I was seven then and was staying with her. Your grandfather, Kagome, had just married and was expecting his first child. I was no longer needed as the heir.

"Kikyou changed after that. She no longer thought about only her duty. She seemed happy for the first time. My own miko powers were developing and Kikyou decided to settle here in Aniri-to teach those with powers how to use them and the normal villagers how to defend themselves." Kaede paused for the first time in her story. Sadness washed over her in waves. What happened next to her sister was something Kaede regretted. She wished with all her heart she could have changed it. But that was not a power anyone possessed.

Kaede looked up at Inuyasha with unshed tears. She took a deep breath and continued. "This next part, Inuyasha, is something I have never told anyone. Several months before my sister's death, she encountered a strange youkai who wanted the Shikon no Tama. He was clever, witty and charming. He had powers no other youkai in existence could compare to. She told me one day, that after her initial meeting with him, she could not kill him because she cared for him. At first she thought it was love-an emotion she only just began to recognize because of you. But she soon realized that what she felt were false emotions, implanted in her by him. He was able to enter her mind. On occasion she would blackout and wake up in strange places. She knew then that he controlled her.

"I watched her as she battled many mental battles with him. I watched as the jewel changed from that pure purple-pink to a deep black and back again in rapid succession, watched helpless as my sister slowly lost her mind to him. I know she was happy to die, to stop the constant battles. Her last wish was to burn the Shikon no Tama with her body so he could not have it, a request that took all her effort to make and one that I happily granted.

"I do not know what you fought about with her on the day she died, but I'm positive that Kikyou was not truly fighting you. It was the youkai who controlled her mind. The moment she came back to herself, she was already pointing the arrow at you. Instead of killing you as he had intended, she instead used an ancient miko spell to bind you to that tree." Kaede finished and realized with a start that tears were falling down her cheeks. She hadn't even felt them. She blinked and didn't hide her face. She was not ashamed of her emotions.

"Who was this bastard youkai?" Inuyasha asked in a growl. He stood poised to fight, a fist clenched tightly and his teeth bared, showing off two white glistening fangs. He truly reminded Kagome of a guard dog like that-ready to defend his master to the death.

"Naraku." The single named fell on them all like ice cold water. Shivers ran from the roots of their hair to their toes. No one moved, no one breathed. When the shock faded, Inuyasha stormed out of the hut. He shouted every curse he knew in every language he knew. The three humans left in the hut heard the thumps and whacks and creeks of tall trees being hit with something-probably Inuyasha's own fist. They heard bark fly off the trees and land on the ground, claws scraping against the tough tree hides without a care.

Kagome sat silently long after Inuyasha's departure until his retreat could no longer be heard. She turned back to Kaede. "What happened to you?"

Kaede answered her softly. "Since I was no longer needed as the heir, I decided to remain here. I learned from other passing miko how to use my gifts but my powers weren't as strong as my sister's. I was known as mainly the healer for the village. I taught the children that presented powers as much as I could before recommending them for training at a proper school."

When Kaede fell silent again, Miroku spoke up. "You said that you and Kikyou were considered embarrassments to the Higurashi name. How come? Nothing you've said so far seems so bad."

Kaede looked at them with her one good eye, her clear conscious shining through. She was not ashamed of what they had done. She didn't believe it was wrong. "The traditions of the Higurashi are steeped in duty. Kikyou's duty was to the Shikon no Tama once she was presented with it. They considered her an embarrassment because she disregarded her duty when she fell in love with Inuyasha, going so far as to wish for a normal life with him. She disregarded her duty again when she let Naraku enter her mind. She let him live.

"As for myself, I'm considered an embarrassment because I chose to live out my life here in Aniri instead of returning to the palace. I disregarded my duty of marrying a noble and increasing my family's good name. I held no desire for such a future and have been quite happy here in this small village."

Kagome sat back, tired from all the events of the day. Kaede was right, though. Her family _did_ think in terms of duty. Her mother's marriage scheme was all about duty. She understood it. She accepted it. But it was hard. There had to be a balance somewhere between duty and personal happiness. If one sacrificed everything for duty, one would be very unhappy and tired. Her parents had been lucky that they had fallen in love. Not all the marriages in her family were like that. Her's might not at this rate.

Kaede stood and stretched. She offered her hand to Kagome. Kagome accepted it with a quiet thanks. "It's been a long day. I'll show you someplace you can relax and then you can sleep the night here. We'll leave Inuyasha to his thoughts for right now. It'll be hard for him to come to terms with what Naraku has done."

Kagome smiled gratefully and followed the old woman out of the hut. They took a winding path down the stairs, through the lower village and out to the surrounding forest. When Kaede parted a patch of wild branches, Kagome spied a beautiful steaming hot spring. "I found this by accident one day when I was about your age. It might help relieve the stress of the day. I'll leave you to soak."

"Arigatou."

Kagome waited until Kaede left before moving closer to the hot spring. She carefully untied her obi, folded it and laid it on a large rock. She then took off her kimono-one of the lighter layers she had worn under her formal kimono-folded it neatly and placed it on the same rock.

Freed from her clothes, she gracefully walked into the hot spring and let the hot water swirl around her aching feet and body. To help relieve more of the tension, she removed the plain hair pins and let her hair flow thick and free down her back. The ends just barely touched the surface when she stood straight. Glancing around-to make sure no one like Miroku had followed her-Kagome sank down into the warm waters with a sigh.

It was so comforting to have the hot water relax all the knots in her body. She closed her eyes and lounged against a sturdy rock under the water. She allowed all but her head to sink below the surface. She did not hear the slight rustle next to the hot spring. She did not notice the shadow that fell across her clothes or the new scent in the air-of lilacs mixed with something musky and out of place here in this forest.

O o O o O o O o O

The female Taijiya warrior scouted the village again. Hours had already passed since she had arrived. Night blanketed her in darkness. The mysterious portal placed her right in a patch of bushes next to the village a few hours before sunset. After several rounds of walking the perimeter and coming back to her original position, she finally decided to wait there. The group she sought must have gone into a hut. This particular patch of bushes allowed her to see every angle of the lower village. If they left, she would know.

She scanned the area again, this time catching the movement of the hanyou who attacked her village. Her body tensed. She wanted to leave her cover and fight him but the voice came back inside her head. It pounded a tattoo of orders like war drums. She moved her gaze to the hut just behind him and stared.

Finally, after what seemed like hours but was only a few minutes, two more figures moved out of the hut. The girl she was after walked next to an old woman. The old woman was not a part of this, though. Her orders were specifically for the girl.

Carefully, she crawled along the bushes. Her black armor lent her camouflage and the bee hive the man gave her laid next to her former position, forgotten. She waited a few heart beats as the old woman stopped in front of a hot spring. After a few words were exchanged, the old woman left. She crawled farther into the clearing, slowly, one inch at a time, cautiously watching the girl remove her clothes. When the girl stretched and reclined on a rock, she made her move.

She came up out of the underbrush slowly. Her hands took the girl's clothes off the rock they rested on and tossed them behind her. She didn't want any hidden weapon to be used against her. On silent feet, she ran into the hot spring and grabbed the girl. She twisted the girl around so that the girl's back was pressed up against her front. She choked the girl just enough so she could not scream.

Kagome freaked. She had glimpsed only a pair of clouded deep brown eyes-such a dark brown that they almost appeared black against the night. She could tell her attacker was a woman, probably human, because her breasts were pushed against Kagome's back and no other signs of youkai were present. She clawed at the woman's arm and tried to get her to release her neck. Air was getting harder and harder to pull into her lungs.

The woman pulled Kagome out of the hot spring and into the bushes. She carefully pulled her farther and farther from the hot spring in the direction away from the village. Kagome tried hard. She twisted and turned and did anything she could think of but she could not break free of her attacker's hold. Even her wet slippery body was no good. The woman's armor seemed water proof.

Kagome's mind raced. She had to do something. In a last attempt to show that she was in danger, Kagome dug her heals into the ground. They made furrows that pointed in the direction she was being taken. The woman yanked her again, twisting her upward and angling her so her feet just touched the tops of the rocks strewn across the dirt. Each hit made her feet hurt. A few even cut her-adding blood to her trail.

But before too long, Kagome gave up. She was already tiring and she could not afford to let herself become even more injured. Not if she wanted to survive. Her best bet was to stop struggling and try to escape later. This girl who held her was obviously much stronger than Kagome. Her only option was to try to run once they stopped and she needed to save what little strength remained for that.

Dizziness crept up on her from lack of air and made it hard for her to see her surroundings. Kagome shook her head, just enough to clear her vision again, and watched the trees pass by. She tried to remember which trees were where and if there was a path.

Abruptly, they came to a halt. "I've brought her," her attacker spoke. Kagome looked up to see a strange figure in a weird animal pelt. She could not tell what it was in the dark-male or female, youkai or human. Her attacker walked towards it. The figure raised it's arms and accepted Kagome, holding her away from his body so he could look at her. She began to struggled again. This was not part of her escape plan. One attacker she could fool, but two was too much.

"Good work," the figure spoke. He stared at her naked form, licking his lips. He thought about all the things he wanted to do to her that Kikyou denied him. It made his lust grow. Seeing her in the flesh and feeling her felt so much better than his imaginings.

Kagome froze. She knew that voice. A cold chill ran down her body. The figure clenched her tighter, anticipating any new move. Where had she heard it before? Kagome's mind raced and tried to find that voice in her memories. Then it hit her.

Suddenly, she didn't see the dark forest or the female warrior or the figure clothed in an animal pelt. She was back home, in Avaren, hiding in the tunnel beneath the palace. The screams had died away and all that could be heard were wet slippery sounds as feet were shucked through the pools of blood. _That_ voice had spoken. Kagome would never have forgotten it. Never. It was the voice of the usurper, the murderer who killed her father. Naraku.

Kagome became wild. She clawed at him blindly. One of his hands rested across her mouth while the other held her tightly on the arm. In sheer panic, Kagome bit down. He pulled it away from her mouth only to grasp her chin. But it was enough. Kagome screamed-a loud ear splitting sound filled with desperateness and fear that echoed in the forest.

Naraku release her head only long enough to slap her across the face. Blood pooled in her mouth and dribbled down her bottom lip, small drops fell from her chin to hit the ground in dull thuds. The inside of her mouth was cut from the force of the blow pushing her cheek against her teeth. Her head spun in another wave of dizziness. Naraku took hold of her legs and cradled her against his body.

"Be a good girl and don't do that again. I will not hesitate to slap you as many times as it takes."

Kagome became silent. She had screamed, loud enough for Inuyasha to hear her. She just had to wait. He would come. She was sure of it. In the mean time, she rested her head on Naraku's shoulder, too dizzy to keep it up. Her mouth throbbed; the metallic taste of her blood sickened her and made her stomach sour.

O o O o O o O o O

Inuyasha sat exhausted. He took quick breaths, almost like panting but not quite. The trunks of many trees littered the ground around him, laying where he had felled them. Most were cut up into useful pieces of fire wood. He would take those back to Kaede's hut later. Others, the first to be harmed in his wild rage, lay in shredded wrecks on the ground- much like noddles that a small child made for the first time.

He clenched his hands. He didn't care about the small cuts that riddled them. They were already beginning to heal. The wound in his heart, however, still bled. It was stubborn. It would not heal. Not yet. Not after everything Kaede had said. His mind turned red again. Rage soared through his veins, pounding only one clear thought: revenge. He had to kill the bastard Naraku. Only then could he gain peace.

The forest around him was eerily silent. He had scared off all the small woodland creatures. Nothing remained by him. He was alone. And he felt it. For the first time in his life, Inuyasha was truly lonely. He wanted someone who would comfort him. He wanted someone to walk up to him and tell him it was okay to be angry, to be hurt, to feel useless and want to kill anything in his path. All he got was silence. Not even the wind brushed across the tree tops.

He sat there, in the middle of the forest, paralyzed by his feelings and unable to move. If it was any other night, he would have missed it. The scream barely pierced through the thick foliage to him, so far was he in the forest. As soon as the last echoes died away, he stood in a flash and scented the air. The scream came from the right. The village was to his left. Some one was in trouble farther out in the forest than even he was.

Inuyasha left his battered trees and ran as fast as he could in the direction of the sound. He scented the air, not bothering to stop for anything. As he neared, one scent caught and held him immobile for a few seconds. It was Kagome.

His instincts took over, kicking him in to overdrive. He became a flashing red blur through the forest and only slowed when he was close to the clearing he smelled Kagome in. Two strange scents accompanied her's. One was of lilacs and musk-a drugged human female that was not Kagome. The other disoriented him. He shook his head vigorously and scented the air again. This time he took small wafting breaths through his nose. It worked. The last scent was distinct and potent. It smelled of dead decaying bodies, old musty earth and many youkai all crammed into one being. Distasteful and disgusting.

Inuyasha walked cautiously forward. He bent branches and bushes out of his way silently. His eyes finally spied the small group. He came in time to see the one with the weird scent shake off the hood of an animal pelt and bend his head down to kiss Kagome. Kagome, held in the man's arms, was naked and damp and struggled futilely to get away.

Naraku sucked on Kagome's lip harder, taking in every last drop of blood he could reach. He had heard Inuyasha approach from miles away. This was his way of saying hello. The girl struggled in his arms but she was too weak to do him any harm. Something in her blood caught Naraku's attention. It was a small thread of something that felt divine. It was intoxicating.

Naraku looked up into Inuyasha's eyes as he placed Kagome down on her own two feet, her back pressed against his torso. One arm snaked around her stomach. His hand latched on to a naked breast and caressed her nipple with half cruelty and half adoration. His other arm cradled her head to the side, exposing her throat to his view. He had to taste her blood fully. Something in it was strange, off, not like other humans.

Inuyasha made to move toward him. Naraku glared at him. "One step and I can easily kill her like this," Naraku spoke in a cool whisper. His cold blood red stare moved toward him languorously.

Inuyasha settled down. He ran through his mind all the different things he could do but he chose to stay still. Naraku was too close to Kagome's jugular for his liking. One wrong move and Naraku could cut her so deep, she would die from blood loss.

Inuyasha watched in agony as Naraku played with Kagome's breast and bent his head down to her neck. Kagome's eyes pleaded with Inuyasha to help her but he couldn't do anything. Not yet.

Naraku licked her neck, tasting her sweet skin. The slimy feel made Kagome want to vomit. It was disgusting. She wanted him to remove his hand. She wanted to push him away and spit on him. Instead she stood still. And for good reason.

Kagome felt a prick on her neck then a sharp pain as Naraku bit her. He ingested her blood like a vampire, pulling away when he had enough to ascertain what the compelling taste was. He saw with keen eyes a trail that ran throughout her body of power. It interconnected through her blood vessels to every body part, glowing slight pink. The shock made him loosen his hold on her.

Kagome took the opportunity and pulled away from his slackened hands, trying to run. She felt weak, light headed. She got no farther than a few small steps. Naraku's words entered her fuzzy mind but made no sense. She panted, shook her head and told herself not to collapse. She would not collapse, dammit! She had to be strong now.

"The Shikon no Tama isn't in her body. It _is_ her body. Somehow, the Shikon no Tama fused with her blood." Naraku stood stunned into silence at this revelation. All his careful plans were ruined. Deciding to retreat for the night, Naraku backed away into the forest, becoming one with the shadows.

Inuyasha paid him no heed. He rushed forward to catch Kagome as the last of her strength failed her. Smears of bright crimson blood on her neck and mouth made her skin look ashen. Her eyes fluttered for a brief moment before falling closed.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha tired to rouse her. He tapped her on her cheek lightly. "Kagome!" She did not stir.

Cursing, Inuyasha pulled her up with him and was about to leave when he remembered the strange female warrior. He looked at her. She lay unconscious on the ground, the musky scent dissipating from her body. He couldn't carry both unconscious women. He decided to first get Kagome to Kaede and then come back for the other woman.

Making sure Kagome was secured in his arms, he ran out of the forest and headed to Kaede's hut. None of the villagers were out and he was thankful for that. He entered Kaede's hut with a rush, the curtain that posed as a door slapping vigorously in the wind left in his wake. He placed Kagome gently on the floor, shrugged out of his haori and let it fall on top of her naked body.

"She has a wound on her neck. Take care of it," he said to the two stunned occupants and turned to leave. Kaede and Miroku looked to themselves then at the unconscious girl and began to work quickly.

On his way to get the other woman, Inuyasha stopped by the hot spring. It had been easy to find the spot. Kagome's scent lead the way to it after all. He found her clothes, strung along the bushes almost like they were hung to dry, and gathered them up. He didn't stop again until he came to the other woman. She still lay on the ground where he had left her.

Inuyasha tucked Kagome's clothes under his chin while he pick up the strange woman. Once she was secure in his arms, he let the clothes fall to her stomach. The air currents would press the clothes towards him while his shoulders acted like a shield to prevent them from falling as he ran. Once everything was adjusted right, Inuyasha ran back to Kaede's hut. Fear finally settled foremost in his mind. It took wing and spread horrible images in his heart: Kagome dying, Kagome never waking again, Kagome a slave to Naraku. Each one more unpleasant than the last.

By the time Inuyasha reached Kaede's hut, he was almost unable to enter. The woman he carried was only unconscious, not as gravely injured as Kagome. She didn't need to be seen right away. Be he went in anyway through sheer force of will one slow step at a time.

He placed the woman in his arms on the other side of the hut from where Kagome lay. He grabbed Kagome's clothes and sat down in a corner where he could see both women. The clothes offered some comfort as Kagome's sweet intoxicating scent still lingered. They did not smell of death or of that bastard Naraku. No one had told him what Naraku looked like nor had he identified himself but Inuyasha was sure all the same. That was the only enemy Kagome and he had in common.

Kaede worked furiously, using all her knowledge of herbs to try to stop the bleeding on Kagome's neck. The bite was somewhat brutal. It was not a ravaged mark like an animal would cause but at the same time, it wasn't a love bite either. It was a bite to draw blood, in any way it could, and inflict enough pain to keep the person still. Kaede had never seen anything like it before.

"Inuyasha, who did this?" Kaede asked, anger in check. Inuyasha starred at Kagome, unable to speak. "Inuyasha!" Kaede yelled. She looked up from her task to stare at the hanyou with worried eyes.

Inuyasha looked away. "Naraku," he whispered sadly.

Kaede sucked in a startled breath. That explained why it looked so weird. Naraku was a youkai, not an animal but not human either. Youkai were more like a cross between the two. Their teeth and jaws could be used to tear out the throats of their enemies but they could also be used to give their mates love bites in pleasure. A youkai's mixture of features made for a strong and deadly creature.

Kaede took a deep breath and knew her knowledge on herbs alone would be no good. She hadn't done it in years but now her miko powers were needed again. "Miroku, take you hands and hold them here, where mine are," she directed.

She waited until Miroku's hands where in the right place then took her own hands and hovered them above his. She silenced her thoughts, quieted her racing heart and dredged up all the knowledge her sister and her miko masters had imparted to her.

Slowly, her hands glowed a pale pink tipped in light green, like the leaves of a caladium plant. As Miroku pressed on the wound, he noticed that the blood started to slow and then stopped leaking out all together. The wound closed. Miroku moved his hands away, taking the cloth Kaede had placed there to soak up the blood with him. All that remained of the wound as Kaede let her hands fall away was a bruise.

Kaede wiped her perspiring brow and nodded in satisfaction. "That will do," she said to the room in general. Inuyasha looked up, eyes trained on Kagome. "Something in Naraku's saliva prevented her wound from slowing the blood down. Now, after my healing, she should be fine. We'll need to make her drink an herbal tea to stave off infection and any toxins that might have been in Naraku's saliva but otherwise, she'll be fine."

Inuyasha's heart began to calm somewhat. He was glad she would be alright. An unexplainable hitch had crept inside him when he saw the monster with Kagome, her damp naked body being caressed by those evil hands. It felt as if a vise was squeezing his heart, tighter and tighter until it wanted to burst from the pain.

Inuyasha stood and walked to where Kagome lay. Without a look to Miroku or Kaede, he said, "I'll stay with her. Take care of the other woman."

They moved to the other side of the room. "Who is she, Inuyasha?" Kaede asked.

Inuyasha sat with his legs crossed next to Kagome, itching to hold one of her hands. "I don't know. She was with Naraku, taking his orders. She was the one who took Kagome from the hot spring." At their alarmed gasps, Inuyasha looked up and said quickly, "I smelled drugs on her. She didn't do it of her own free will. Naraku left her behind." Kaede nodded then glanced back at the woman. Miroku clenched a hand. Another innocent had been hurt in Naraku's scheme.

"We'll have to give her water and wait until the drugs leave her before we can do much else," Kaede commented and began to take off the woman's armor. Upon closer inspection, not all the armor pieces were black. Some had faint pink designs on them to denote her feminine status. Nothing she wore indicated who she was or where she was from.

Miroku blushed as he helped divest the woman from her clothes. For all his hentai ways, he had never actually undressed a woman. He admired the female form from a distance, albeit a rather close one. His orders as a monk made it impossible for him to experience any of the joys they offered to men. If he found one so deserving, he would give up those vows in a heart beat.

Once all the armor was taken off, they saw bandages that wrapped around the majority of the woman's body. "These are about a week old," Kaede stated. "They've been tended to well, almost fully healed." She and Miroku rolled her onto her stomach. A giant wound on her back gaped open, spilling fresh blood. "This one, however, appears to have reopened during all the struggling. I'll have to stitch it closed and she wont be able to move around much when she wakes."

Kaede went about cleaning the wound and ordered Miroku to fetch a needle and thread to stitch it closed. She placed a poultice on it once it was closed to her satisfaction and had Miroku hold the woman up so she could place a bandage around the woman's chest and back. All they could do now was wait for their two patients to wake up.


	7. Chapter 6: Her Body and Blood

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Inuyasha, sadly. Takahashi Rumiko is the master mind. ^_^

Author's Note: Thanks once again for all the reviews. A few of the comments about Naraku made me want to explain a bit more about his motives. I wrote him the last chapter molesting Kagome for two reasons: 1) he sees her as a replacement for Kikyou—her pure soul, her looks, her connection to the Shikon no Tama—and 2) he wanted to mess with Inuyasha's head, show him that he could take another girl of "his" and hurt them both. Just a little insight into my thinking. ^_^ Now enjoy chapter 6!

Definitions:

Tendo no Mai – is roughly translated to Dance of Divine Justice; it's a name I designed myself for miko katana arts.

**Spellbound Destiny**

**Chapter 6: Her Body and Blood**

Naraku pounded down the outer deck of the palace. He was angry. Beyond angry. The Shikon no Tama was no longer a jewel. He could not possess it at all. This was unfair. He waited fifty years for the jewel only to find out it was in the damn chit's blood—it literally was her body! How the hell was he suppose to get it?

He couldn't mind control the girl forever. That particular power was useless. It left his body vulnerable while he inhabited the other person's mind. It also took too much time. He had to know his subjects mind inside and out in order to slip through without being noticed—know their inner sanctum like he knew ever contour and shape of his mind and body.

There was only one instance where that power had been used to its full extend, on Kikyou, and that had turned out disastrously. She was a lot easier than Kagome would be. At least then the Shikon no Tama was separated from Kikyou and did not lend her it's strength. Kagome on her own was already too powerful—he had sensed that through the blood link. With the Shikon no Tama flowing through her veins, her power knew no limits. He only hoped she never learned how to properly harness it.

Naraku slammed open a shoji door, tearing it out of it's fastenings and destroying it. He didn't care. He needed to think of something else he could do. He paced back and forth in his room for half an hour but nothing came to him. In a fit of rage, Naraku turned one of his arms into a tentacle and hit everything he could—the pure destruction oddly satisfying.

O o O o O o O o O

Kagome floated on a cloud. At least if felt like a cloud. It was soft and airy and contoured to her body perfectly. She felt relaxed, her body utterly content.

A soft voice whispered to her. She didn't want to wake up. Ignoring the voice, Kagome shifted, shaking her head slowly to get rid of the buzzing. The voice only grew louder. It grew until she was forced to sit up and find out who was calling to her.

Blackness greeted her. She shrieked, panic setting in. Her hands flew to her eyes. She ran her finger tips lightly over them, feeling her eyelashes whisper softly against them when she blinked rapidly. Her eyes were open. Then why couldn't she see? Where was she?

The voice came back to her; this time she could understand it. "Kagome," the voice echoed around her. "Kagome, focus on my voice. You do not need to be afraid." She looked around but still could not see who was talking to her. "Kagome, do not look with your eyes. Look with your inner sight."

_Inner __sight?__ What __the __hell __is__ that?_ Kagome didn't understand. How could you see without using eyes? Then, a small spark of instinct took root inside her. She decided to follow where it led.

Kagome closed her eyes, breathed deeply and focused on her "inner self." She felt it then—a truly wondrous feeling like joy mixed with happiness and strength. A small flare of power that was not her own. She grabbed on to it and followed the thread.

Kagome opened her eyes and was blinded by light. She blinked rapidly then focused on her surroundings. The sun was setting, casting all known shades of pink and red across the landscape. Sitting on a hill, a small ancient hut was the only building. Next to it ran a small stream and blooming sakura trees blew in the wind—petals dancing along the currents. A lone figure stood in front of her dressed in battle miko attire—the armor ancient, her raven tresses unbound and a symbol in the middle of her forehead. Standing next to the figure was a giant cream colored, two tailed neko youkai.

The figure smiled at her. "You found me," she said. It was the same voice that had spoken to her on her cloud—soft kindness with a hint of authority and power.

Kagome moved closer to her, noticing that her eyes were a deep endless pool of honey. She held out her hand to Kagome. Kagome accepted it and was pulled across the stream to land next to the neko youkai.

"Please," the woman said with a wave of her hand to the small deck around the hut. "Take a seat."

Kagome accepted the offer, gently bowing down and sitting on the deck. The atmosphere was peaceful and lovely. She could fall in love with this place. Kagome looked to her companion as she sat next to her.

"My name is Midoriko. You must be wondering where we are."

"Hai. I've never seen anything like this before."

Midoriko smiled at her. "No, I don't suppose you would have. This place is from my memories, from a long, long time ago. It's a mental projection I'm showing to your inner self."

"Inner self?"

"All people, youkai or human, have an inner self. A...mental self that can protect your mind. Most people can't tap into it on their own. Only the most powerful miko can access their inner selves without trouble or aid. Some day, when you fully understand your powers, you'll be able to create your own special place."

"And this place is yours?"

"Hai. I thought it best if we didn't try to make you create one right now. Your powers are only just showing themselves. Your world would be unstable since your powers are still unstable. I did not want to have this conversation cut short."

Kagome nodded her understanding. "What are you, then?"

"I'm a spirit. I have knowledge I wish to impart to you about me and the Shikon no Tama."

Kagome's mind flashed back to Naraku. His words reverberated deep within her. "Naraku said the Shikon no Tama isn't in my body. That it is my body. What does that mean?"

"I'm glad you remembered that. First, let me explain how I am connected to the Shikon no Tama. That will make you understand just how important it is." Midoriko looking at Kagome in dead seriousness, waiting until Kagome seemed to understand the importance of her words before she began. "Many, many years ago, youkai and humans fought each other as mortal enemies. Youkai were much crueler then. They let their instincts have full reign. I was a warrior miko trained in the art of war against these beasts. When a horde decided to attack the capital of my country, what is now present day Haedai, my sisters and I stood our ground.

"We fought for hours until only I was left. In a last attempt to get rid of them all, I moved to a cave. There, I imprisoned the rest of the horde and fought them. But the youkai did something I had never seen before. They combined with each other to form one monstrous being.

"I was tired, already badly wounded and knew I could not take down the beast. I gathered all my remaining power and sucked the youkai monster into my soul. I then ejected it as a crystallized round jewel, my soul and that of all the youkai trapped within forever. That was what the Shikon no Tama was." Midoriko paused to let Kagome absorb that much of her tale.

Kagome stared at Midoriko in amazement. No one had ever known how the jewel came about—at least no one who was willing to share the tale. It certainly wasn't common knowledge or everyone would know about the jewel and its power. It made her speechless. Then something else stirred her mind. Kaede's story. "What did the Taijiya have to do with it?"

"I was a child of the Taijiya. Naturally, I wished to have some of my own family and friends at my back to help with the fight. I lost many comrades that day—miko and Taijiya alike. Once the surviving Taijiya realized what I had done, they took it upon themselves to pass the jewel on to each leader until a worthy miko could take it and purify it."

"And Kikyou was one of those miko."

"Hai. She was the most power and best trained I had ever seen. Her defenses against youkai were excellent but Naraku found a single weakness and exploited it, entering her mind and destroying her. When Kikyou asked for the Shikon no Tama to be burned with her body, she didn't know what would happen. _I_ didn't know what would happen." Midoriko paused to take a deep breath. This next part was what truly matter to Kagome. She had to make the girl understand.

"The physical form of the jewel was destroyed in the fire, burned away along with Kikyou's body. The jewel had weathered through for so many years, untouched by time and destruction, but something Naraku had done to Kikyou weakened the jewel's outer shell. The souls that resided within stayed alive, though. I kept the youkai and myself contained in a barrier as we floated in a sea of souls, trying to find one that would be able to take us in.

"I found _you_, Kagome. I sought you out because you resembled Kikyou in many ways. Your soul is pure, your heart kind, your miko powers strong—maybe even stronger than Kikyou's. But at the same time, you were different from her as well—the differences making me hope you would not fall like her to Naraku's evil. So I sent my barrier into your soul and have resided in it ever since.

"When Naraku said your body is the Shikon no Tama, that's what he meant. My powers and all the powers of the Shikon no Tama are yours in addition to your own miko powers. You have the ability all youkai have sought from the Shikon no Tama without it corrupting you."

"Where are they now?"

"Trapped within a barrier, sealed away from you. I will not let them try to take you over. I have the ability to contain them but not get rid of them. "

"Kikyou was suppose to purify the Shikon no Tama, right?"

"She had the potential but not the know how. I was going to point her in the direction of the answer when I found it. As it is now, we cannot be purified while inside you. I do not know how a purification can be accomplished. Until it is, you will be a target for anyone who seeks the jewel once word gets out. I will try to help you connect with your miko powers and teach you but you can't rely on only me."

Kagome nodded her head. It made sense. "Where should I look, for information on how to purify you?"

"Go to the Taijiya village. Something may have been left in their care. Over the years, between miko, I've been able to keep the youkai and myself dormant so I can't say for sure if another miko or monk has even encountered this before. If there was, my guess is that they left their knowledge there, with the Taijiya, to be passed on to the next miko."

"Hai." Kagome looked at Midoriko with clouded eyes. It was a lot to take in all at once. Then another thought occurred to her. "What will happen to you when I do purify you?"

Midoriko smiled—a half sad, half happy twist to her lips. "I will finally be able to rest in peace. That means I will no longer be able to talk to you or see how you are doing but I won't have to fight any longer. This battle has been going on for far to long." She looked on Kagome with tired but adoring eyes. "Even though you didn't know I was within you until now, I have been watching over you since you were born. I feel almost like a mother with her child, facing her death without seeing her daughter grow up completely. I helped your miko powers keep you safe, helped point you in the right direction in so many things. I will miss you but the time has come. My soul shouldn't have stayed this long in the living world."

Kagome felt touched. There was nothing she could say to Midoriko that would express her gratitude. Kagome felt that it was because of Midoriko that she had been able to feel youkai as a child, to know when danger was coming. It was her own childish mind that couldn't comprehend what Midoriko tried to warn her about that caused so many issues but she had tried her hardest. Kagome knew that when the time came, she would miss Midoriko too.

Midoriko looked up, her gaze pensive on the horizon of her created world. "It's time for us to go. Kaede has healed you and will be expecting you to wake soon." She turned back to Kagome. "I'll show myself again when I believe the time is right to start your training. Before then, I would like you to find a good long bow, sturdy arrows and a katana. The art of Tendo no Mai has faded from miko practices but I will teach you so you can fight properly."

"Arigatou," Kagome said as she stood. She bowed to Midoriko, truly grateful for everything she'd done for her.

Midoriko smiled. "Follow the same path you took to come here. It will lead you out of my world and back into your own."

Kagome nodded and did as Midoriko directed, finding herself back in the sea of black. Her mind quieted again and she began to "sleep," waiting for when her body would wake her up.

O o O o O o O o O

Kaede guarded over her two charges like a mother hen, alone except for a brooding Inuyasha. Miroku was out on first watch, making sure Naraku didn't come back—which was highly unlikely. She looked up and pinned Inuyasha with a hard glare out of her good eye. Inuyasha fidgeted. "Did Naraku say anything?"

Inuyasha started to shake his head but stopped. He'd been so concerned about Kagome and what Naraku had done to her, he forgot Naraku had said anything. Naraku's words came back to him suddenly. "He said something about the Shikon no Tama not being in Kagome's body but is her body. I don't know what that means."

Kaede's brows furrowed in puzzlement. It was an odd thing to say. She had no clue what it meant either. Nothing in her experience, or anything she had heard of from other miko, could explain what he meant. They would have to figure it out after Kagome woke—which hopefully would be soon.

Inuyasha sat next to Kagome, almost touching but not quite with his arms folded in his sleeves. He wanted to cradled her head in his lap, make her as comfortable as possible but he couldn't bring himself to do it with Kaede in the hut with them. It was embarrassing.

A sudden noise startled him out of the contemplation of his feelings. He looked up and noticed the strange woman he had brought back was stirring. Kaede moved closer to her and laid a hand on her shoulder to quiet her down. The woman came awake abruptly, pushing Kaede's hand off her shoulder in startlement. She was gasping for air, as if waking from a nightmare. Sweat beaded on her brow.

"It's okay, child," Kaede spoke softly. The woman turned wide eyes to Kaede, not seeing clearly where she was. She mumbled incomprehensible words. "Take a few deep breaths and calm down," Kaede instructed. "It's okay."

The young woman followed Kaede's instructions, breathing in through her nose and out her mouth. She blinked rapidly a few times and finally her head began to clear. She looked around her, taking in the small hut, the sleeping girl next to a hanyou and the old woman. A young monk stood by the door of the hut, brought in no doubt by the commotion the young woman caused. Kaede noticed him for the first time. Inuyasha only wrinkled his nose at the smell the monk brought in with him—that of sweat and dirt.

"Do you remember anything?" Kaede asked. "Do you know who you are?"

The young woman swallowed. As she squinted, trying to recall the last things to happen, Kaede gave her a cup filled with fresh water. She sipped it gratefully. "My name is Sango. I come from a hidden village, the Taijiya village."

Miroku and Kaede exchanged looks as he walked into the hut and took a seat by the young woman. Inuyasha only gazed at Sango with semi-curious eyes. He was more concerned about what Naraku said and what he did to Kagome than Sango. But it would help to have more information. So he listened to her.

"My father and our warriors were called out of the village. I had just gotten back from another job when they were about to leave and decided to go with them. It was suppose to be a normal job. But it wasn't. It was a nightmare. When we got to the palace, there was no youkai attacking like the report had said. The guards were acting funny and with no warning, they attacked us. I was knocked out from behind while I tried to protect by brother."

Tears came to her eyes. She swallowed hard, the horror coming back to her in full force. "They're all dead. All of them. It was Kohaku's first true battle." She paused to gather her composure again. "I remember being lifted and taken away from the battle then nothing else until I woke yesterday. My head felt clouded and the drink the man gave me was bitter."

"Do you know who the man was?" Kaede prodded when Sango paused again.

She shook her head. "I asked him but he didn't answer me. He said that a hanyou named Inuyasha destroyed my village and kidnapped a girl from his palace. He wanted me to take her back. I couldn't get his voice out of my head. It kept ringing in my ears, ordering me to grab the girl he was after and bring her to him."

Kaede nodded her understanding. "You were drugged. It made you act unlike yourself and made you move with such serious wounds. In any normal situation, you would have been in bed for a few more days recovering."

For the first time, Sango became aware of her wounds again. Her back ached and fresh bandages were wrapped around her chest, keeping a new poultice in place on her open wound. "Did you take care of me?" Sango asked as she looked up into Kaede's kind face. Kaede nodded. "Arigatou."

Sango looked away and down at her hands, unsure of what more she could do. Before she could think of anything else to say, one of her hands was captured between the monk's.

"I'm Miroku. Would you bear my child?" he asked intensely.

Sango sat in stunned silence, not noticing one of the monk's hands leaving her grasp and slowly making its way down her backside. It rested on the curve of her behind, rubbed and then squeezed. Sango felt instant fury course through her veins. She snatched her hand out of the monk's and slapped him across the face.

Miroku twitched and fell backwards in happy contentment, a throbbing red spot on his cheek. Sango was strong and able bodied, nothing like court women or common peasants. She was someone he could truly appreciate. He had tired not to peek while he helped Kaede bandage her but it was hard. Her body beckoned him, toned in a way that lent credulity to her warrior lifestyle. Her breasts were perfect—round and sumptuous—and the feel of her behind made him want to grab it more. He resisted the urge as a throat cleared from the other side of the room. Inuyasha stood glaring at him.

Miroku righted himself and scooted a tiny bit away from Sango—to make her more comfortable. "Anything else that you want to share with us, Sango?" he asked deadly serious. If it wasn't for the events they were talking about, Sango might have laughed at his abrupt turn around in nature.

Sango shook her head, her gaze going to the sleeping girl. "Is she the one I tried to kidnap?"

"Yes but Inuyasha found you two before Naraku had a chance to take Kagome."

"Naraku?"

"That's the youkai who drugged you. He's exceedingly clever and has been after Kagome since she was a child. I don't know too much more than that. You would have to ask her why he seeks her out so much."

Inuyasha's fist clenched. He looked back to Kagome with sadness and anger. "Because of the Shikon no Tama," he chimed in.

Sango blinked in astonishment. "The Shikon no Tama should not be in this world any longer. It should have disappeared with Kikyou."

The three other occupants turned to Sango—surprise, wariness and amazement cloaking their faces. "How do you know about the jewel and Kikyou?" Inuyasha rudely asked, miffed that someone else who hadn't know Kikyou while she was alive knew about the jewel and her involvement.

Sango only blinked up at them. "The jewel originated in my village. It's creator was born as a Taijiya who had remarkable miko powers and thus trained as a miko instead of a Taijiya warrior. Every child who is born and raised in the village learns about the jewel and the woman who created. Until Kikyou came, the jewel had been passed from each leader to await a new powerful miko."

"She's right," came a soft slightly cracking voice. They turned to see Kagome struggling to sit up. Inuyasha went back to his place beside her. Kagome smiled weakly up at him. She looked back to the other woman. "I'm Kagome. Higurashi Kagome."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Sango. Are you related to Kikyou by any chance?"

"Hai. Kikyou was my grandfather's cousin."

Sango nodded. It made sense. If the jewel came back in any form, it would choose someone strong and the Higurashi house was known for having strong miko bloodlines.

"What Sango is saying it true," Kagome spoke up again, continuing their previous topic. She went into detail about her meeting with Midoriko and all the new information she had learned. She herself was amazed at everything she had been through this night. The others look just as overwhelmed. When she grew quiet, they sat in a contemplative silence.

Sango was the first to speak up. "When we have rested long enough, we should take Midoriko's advice and head to my village. The elders may know more about this than I do and I want to make sure they are alright. Naraku made it sound like my village was destroyed a week ago. I'm worried."

"And on the way, we can pick up the weapons Midoriko requested Kagome to get," Miroku chimed in.

Kagome nodded her assent, already yawning and feeling weak and tired again. The little exertion she had pushed her body into upon sitting up had utterly drained her—a strange feeling when she was used to being whole and hearty. Inuyasha pushed her down on her futon again gently. She smiled up at him. She couldn't seem to stop after his rescue. He looked away in embarrassment.

Sango settled down again on her futon, watching Miroku warily as he moved away with a sheepish grin. Kaede lifted an eyebrow at their antics, settling herself between the two to make doubly sure that Miroku wouldn't do anything.

Once Inuyasha was satisfied that they were all resting peacefully, he left the hut to keep watch outside for intruders. He doubted Naraku would show himself so soon but he wanted to be out there just in case. And being the hanyou he was, he didn't need as much sleep as humans did, especially not as much as wounded humans. He jumped up to his favorite tree—which had a perfect view of the whole village—and leaned against the thick branches to gaze out at the quiet night, standing vigil over everyone.


	8. Chapter 7: Miko Training

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Takahashi Rumiko is the wonderful creator. ^_^

Author's Note: The chant in this chapter I came up with on my own. The words are made up of the basics of the Japanese language. When reading my description of Tendo no Mai, think of a cross between ballet and acrobatics using a katana as a prop. I'm also sorry this chapter is coming out so late. I had hoped to get it out a lot sooner but work has been giving me more hours and I've been too tired afterward to do too much on the story. Thanks for all the reviews and I will continue to write as I can. I will not abandon this story. Now enjoy the next chapter. ^_^

Pronunciations:

Rymir – Rye*mere

Asotan – Ah*so*tah*n

**Spellbound Destiny**

**Chapter 7: Miko Training**

It was three days before Kaede cleared both Sango and Kagome ready for travel. Sango's back wound no longer needed a poultice, just light bandaging whenever her skin became irritated. And the affects of the drug had worn off by the morning of the second day—allowing her to regain her full memory. Kagome's neck was completely healed with only a slight discoloration left from the bruise.

Inuyasha felt relieved and ready to leave. He chaffed at the idea of staying any longer. Naraku was out there, planning and scheming and they had to find _something_ that would stop him. And soon. He was not putting Kagome at risk again. Not ever. He failed once with Kikyou, he would make damn sure he didn't fail again. He _would_ protect Kagome's life.

Inuyasha sat by the doorway. His foot tapped and an eyebrow twitched in his mounting frustration. His arms were folded in his sleeves. He watch, annoyed, as the three humans readied themselves. They took forever. All he needed was a direction. He didn't need extra clothes, extra food or all the other things his companions insisted they take.

Kaede spoke in quiet undertones to the two women. Sango looked over her shoulder to Miroku's corner periodically, making sure his hands were in sight and he wasn't creeping closer to her. Kagome nodded her head in understanding after a point Kaede made. It was all very domestic.

Inuyasha stood. "I'll wait for you outside," he directed to them. It was his way of making them hurry. And it work. Not but five minutes later, his three companions walked out of Kaede's hut, packs slung across their backs and waving their last farewells. "Which way towards your village, Sango?" he asked a bit impatiently.

Sango looked up to the sky, thinking and calculating. "It'll take at least two weeks by foot from here, maybe three if there's bad weather. The village is hidden deep on the southern border of Haedai and Rymir with the Asotan Mountains creating a natural border around the back."

Inuyasha nodded his understanding. He wasn't sure how much had changed in the last fifty years but he remembered a hunting path that wasn't used often enough to cause problems. If it was still there, he'd prefer to use that than a well traversed road to make it to the border. Once they were at the border, they could move along it in the proper direction to the village. That way, no one could follow their path without Inuyasha knowing about it.

Of course, the trip would have been a lot shorter had it been just him and Sango. He could carry her on his back and run at top speed to get them to the village in about half the time. But he had promised Kagome she could go and the monk would have just tagged along regardless if Inuyasha had given permission or not. It was not the best of situations but it would do. He grudgingly acknowledged that he liked the company, if only to himself.

By the time Inuyasha's mind left his thoughts, Aniri was already well behind them and they traveled at a steady pace. He ignored his three companions' chatter and focused solely on his instincts. He scented the air. His ears twitched every few seconds to catch the tiniest noise. His senses were completely open and filtering their surroundings, looking for anything that might be out of place. So far, nothing was. But that could change at a moment's notice. He wanted to be ready if it did.

In the pauses with her conversation with Sango, Kagome watched Inuyasha out of the corner of her eye. She didn't want him to notice her. Even though he seemed preoccupied, it would still be embarrassing to be caught. He seemed wired for action, as if every nerve ending stood to attention, waiting for something to approach and attack them. He was very quiet—not bothering to talk to them at all.

They continued like that until the sun began to set. Inuyasha found a clearing for them and deemed it safe to camp in for the night. While Sango and Kagome fixed a fire and rolled out the bedrolls, Miroku and Inuyasha hunted for food. All they needed was meat since Kaede had given them a small pot and a package of vegetables for their first night. They would salt and wrap up any extra meat for tomorrow's breakfast.

Kagome tried her hardest not to feel hurt by Inuyasha's quiet demeanor. She busied herself with normal camp chores, but it was hard. She had hoped that this trip would open him up a bit more but he was as closed to her as he had been back at the palace. His total focus on their surroundings ruined any chances for them to talk and get to know each other better. She was secretly hoping that they could start over, as it were, and become friends. That seemed highly unlikely with the way things were going.

Kagome looked up as Inuyasha walked back into camp, three rabbits slung over his shoulder. Miroku was close behind him, empty handed, a dreamy expression across his face.

"There's a hot spring near by if you and Sango want to go after dinner," Inuyasha commented without looking at her. That explained Miroku's face. His fantasies were running wild in his head. "I'll make sure the bozu doesn't interrupt."

"Arigatou," Kagome whispered.

Her gaze lingered on Inuyasha's form as he bent by the fire and stripped the fur off the rabbits. She marveled at how beautiful he was. Not in the way a woman was. No, not feminine at all. Even though she could not see the outline of his body, she remembered the feel of it as she had ridden on his back. The sleek muscles, the strong arms, the long fingers tapered with claws that he held cautiously against her skin—protecting her from their sharp edges. His long silver hair was so unlike anyone else's she had ever known. With it's silky texture and gorgeous shine, it almost made her envious. And those ears. They were so cute, she wanted to rub them every time she saw them.

Kagome turned away, a blush staining her cheeks. They weren't married yet. She should not be thinking like that, not right now, not after just meeting him two weeks ago. Besides, she might be willing to marry him but nothing said he would keep the contract. After everything was said and done, he could back out and then where would she be? Still fantasizing about him, no doubt, unable to touch or experience anything.

Kagome turned to preparing some of the vegetables for the stew. She kept her eyes away from Inuyasha and tried to stop her wayward thoughts. That's when the idea came to her. "Hey, Sango-chan, tell us about your family."

Sango looked up from her work, a small smile coming to her face. "There's just my father, brother and me. My mother died in child birth with Kohaku. My father is...was...the leader of our village. He ran the Taijiya warriors. Kohaku's first battle was to be at that palace. He was finally ready to become a full fledged warrior. I can't believe he's gone."

Kagome felt for her friend. She didn't know what she would have done if she watched her brother die before her eyes, helpless to stop it. As it was, Souta had escaped along with her and their mother. If not for their father's sacrifice, they would have died that night. "Tell me what he was like."

Sango smiled wistfully, placing the cut vegetables she had in the pot. "He was kind and caring. Almost too kind for our type of life. He never liked hurting creatures. He was nervous about his first battle, scared and afraid he wouldn't be able to do it. He practiced hard everyday and wanted to make our father proud."

"A good kid."

"Very." Sango wiped tears from her eyes. Somehow, though, the pain didn't hurt as much now. It felt good to talk about her brother. "My father was a commanding man. He was strict but gave us a kind hand in our training. He made sure we had everything we needed."

"He never remarried?"

"No. Mother was the love of his life. There was no other woman who could capture his heart. He devoted the rest of his life to us and the village."

"A good man," Miroku commented for the first time since they had arrived at camp.

Sango stilled and looked over to him, watching his hands closely. "Hai. Not like _someone_ I know."

Kagome smiled secretively. For all their banter, Sango and Miroku made a cute couple. She periodically stirred the pot as the two talked quietly across from her. She wished them well. They each deserved to have someone to love and cherish.

Kagome turned her attention back to Inuyasha. He sat, the rabbits already cut into small bite sized pieces and placed in the pot, with the furs next to him. He tied them to a stick and placed them against a tree. She assumed he would be drying them out to use for something later. Now if only he could be as open as the other couple, they could actually get somewhere whenever they talked instead of always fighting—or in some cases just ignoring each other.

Kagome caught bits and pieces of what Sango and Miroku talked about together as she poured the stew into bowls and sat back to enjoy the food. She liked the fact she didn't need to talk, to provided the "entertainment" and could just sit back and enjoy the company. The atmosphere was actually quite pleasant with her two friends fighting and then whispering after Miroku's hand would strayed. It was then that she began to feel strange. Almost like when Midoriko came to her the first time but the difference was that she was awake and the voice didn't echo inside her head. The dream world did not appear before her. It made her feel like she needed to leave—needed to be alone.

Kagome stood and placed her empty bowl on the ground next to the pot and the dead fire. "I'm going to go to the hot springs," she commented nonchalantly. She turned and left in the general direction Inuyasha had entered the camp in. not even waiting for a reply or instructions from the men.

She walked blindly at first, not really knowing which way to go, then let her own senses guide her. She came to a clearing where she could barely make out the rushing of water. It was a tranquil place, full of peace and perfect for...whatever she had come to do.

Kagome closed her eyes and stilled her breathing to an even, slow pace. Her mind became quiet, the sounds of the forest beating a tattoo like a heart beat within her soul. A figure began to form in front of her. It was like a ghost at first, glowing a slight pink. Then it took on a more solid form.

Kagome opened her eyes to look at the figure of Midoriko. She appeared the same as in Kagome's mind but Midoriko's body was partly transparent and seemed to float slightly off the ground, never quite touching.

Midoriko smiled at her. "Good job."

"How...?" Kagome was stunned into silence.

"I made you become aware of some of your powers and through your help, am able to materialize here in the mortal plane. It is time that I begin your training."

"I don't have the weapons yet."

"That's okay. The first lesson you need to learn is how to feel your powers and how to connect to them. Since you have embarked on this journey to the Taijiya village, I thought it best to get started early in case you come into any trouble. This first step would have had to be taken anyway before we focused on the weapons. You need to know the fundamentals of how your powers work. Once I give you the basic lesson, you can practice anywhere and then we will move to other techniques."

Kagome nodded swiftly. She watched Midoriko relax her body and clasp her hands in front of her with her index fingers and thumbs pointing up at the sky. "When you first start to connect with your powers, it's helpful to find a relaxing body position. It does not have to be the same one as mine, just anything that helps you to relax and focus."

Kagome thought for a minute then took a deep breath and sat on the ground, legs crossed and hands held on each knee with her palms facing up. She had seen some monks who traveled through Linmere meditate like that and had copied them a few times in her own meditation. It spoke to her of calmness, of relaxation and peace.

"Wonderful. The next step is a chant. The words don't mean anything; it's the sound and inflection of your voice that helps center you and keep you within your own self. Do whatever you feel is comfortable for you: close your eyes or leave them open, breathe normally or in a special rhythm. It's all up to you."

Kagome nodded and closed her eyes—an easier way for her to concentrate. She controlled her breathing into a steady rhythm, in through her nose and out through her mouth. Midoriko continued, speaking the chant with heavy inflections on the ends of all the words. "Rima, shoto, kina, bebo, hame, nito, jine, shuri, muke, tsute."

Kagome repeated the chant the same way Midoriko had spoken it several times to get use to it. She slowly became aware that her inner focus sharpened. She saw several streamers of light behind her closed eyes and felt power surging through them and into her soul. She grasped the power and let it flow through her whole body. A light pink glow suffused her skin.

"Excellent," Midoriko said. "Feel that power, get use to it, then let it go and call it back. The more you let it go and call it back, the easier it will be when you have to use it in a battle. Let the power shimmer just under your skin, always there and always ready, waiting to be called on."

Kagome did as Midoriko directed. She felt the power wane and called it back several times. Her skin glowed light pink and dimmed again to her natural tone. It flashed each time she called her power to her: pink then natural then back to pink until it built up inside her. She felt a tingling in her fingertips. All she wanted to do was release the pressure that was building up. Without thought, she directed her right hand up and out away from her body. She allowed the power to flow out of her into a tree in a steady stream of pink light.

Midoriko looked on, amazed. "Very good. No one's been able to harness their power so quickly. To be able to shoot a bolt on the first calling is amazing. You learn quick."

Kagome let the power dissipate and calmed her nerves. Her heart had sped up when her power surged and her eyes had opened wide. The feel of her power also startled her. It didn't feel wrong or bad but it didn't feel good. It was...justice...in a way. That's what it felt like. Justice. Divine power, divine justice. It was her right to call forth that power and deal the true justice bestowed upon her to those that were evil.

"What an odd feeling," Kagome remarked. The power left her abruptly only to come back to simmer just beneath the surface of her skin.

"It will take time to get use to it. Most people believe that the miko were created to deal punishment to youkai that harmed humans. It is a great power, one that—just like any power—can corrupt if it is used improperly or for one's own selfish needs."

Kagome understood what she meant. It was glorious to feel as if she were invincible, able to control the fates at the mere flick of her fingers. Anyone with a weak will would be over taken by that power. She, however, was much stronger than that. Her power would not take her over—not without some sort of outside help.

"Your first lesson is over. You now have the skills to call your power at will. Keep practicing and if ever there is a time when you feel as if your life is in danger, do not hesitate to use it."

"Hai. I will remember everything you have taught me." Kagome stood, the new found knowledge trapped in her mind forever. There was no way she would ever forget. "Arigatou," Kagome said while she bowed respectfully to Midoriko.

Midoriko bowed back in return and smiled adoringly. "Your welcome. It's an honor to watch over you and help you grow. I'll always be inside you whenever you have need of me. Try on your own to create your inner self and your special place. Then you can call on me inside your mind whenever you need to."

In the blink of an eye, Midoriko's transparent floating body disappeared, her words still echoing inside Kagome. Kagome turned towards the sound of the water and made her way to the hot springs, mentally and physically exhausted. It would be nice to take a quick dip.

She was just entering the pool of water when Sango came through the bushes. "I thought you would be almost done by now," Sango said with a start.

Kagome smiled at her. "I left because I needed to be alone for a little while before I made my way here. You can join me now if you'd like."

Sango disrobed and entered the pool, sinking down to allow the water to lap at her shoulders. Kagome rested against a rock and gazed at the older girl. "I'm here if you need to talk about anything. I know this must be hard, not knowing if what Naraku said about your village is true or not."

"Arigatou. I've been trained to be strong, to not let my feelings get in the way but sometimes, especially at night, I cannot stop the fear that creeps up on me. How did you do it, Kagome-chan? How did you stay in control after Naraku attacked your home?"

Kagome looked up at the dark sky. She found the moon and watched it as it slowly moved towards the middle. Her emotions took her back to the darkest time in her life. Tears welled and wanted to fall but she refused to allow them control over her. The pain would always be with her but she could live again.

"It was hard," Kagome began. "I couldn't tell my mother that I felt everything that went on in our palace. My powers are so strong that even then, I could feel every youkai that was nearby. I think it was because we had to run, had to hide, that I was able to leave behind some of those dark emotions. I mourned my father's death silently, in private, whenever I had a moment to myself. It took a while—a few years—before I was able to come out of my shell and find the joy of life again. I helped my brother through his darker moments and, eventually, we all healed enough to move on."

Kagome paused to take a deep breath. Some of her old memories swelled and tried to take over, to put her back in the dark corner of her soul she did not want to be in again. She would not let them. Many years had passed and things were different now. She had no need of that place anymore.

"During that first year, my mother put on a mask when in front of others but once back in her own home, she cried herself to sleep. There were times when I hated the creatures who attacked us, cursed them in my head and wished them all to the deepest part of hell. But, Sango-chan, that is not a place for you to go right now because of what-ifs. Wait until we get to your village to mourn its loss if it is destroyed. Let yourself be carried away by your emotions for a while but only then. Tearing yourself up over what might be will not help you."

Sango looked at Kagome with new eyes. Kagome's words rang with a wisdom well beyond her years and the emotions that ran across her face were heart breaking to see. Sango wasn't sure she would have been able to stay sane had she had Kagome's powers and the feelings of the youkai that had attacked running around in her head. Not with untrained powers and at such a young age. "Hai, you're right. I'll try not to think about the what-ifs."

Kagome smiled. "Good. I don't want to see your fears take over. It's not a nice place to be in."

Kagome dunked her head under the water to fully wet her hair and came back up when her lungs needed air. Sango handed her a small bar of soap. Kagome looked at it strangely. Sango laughed. "It's something my village created. We have a special skin darkening cream that prevents youkai from catching our scent and hides us in the dark. It's really hard to get off our skin so we designed something that helped. It's also great for regular bathing."

Kagome took the bar in her hand and brought it to her nose. It smelled like azaleas. She dipped it into the water and then began to bathe herself like she usually did. The soap created small lathered bubbles. When she was done with herself, she gave it to Sango, marveling at the soft feel on her skin and the hint of azaleas coming from it.

When Sango was finished with her own bathing, the two women dressed and headed back to camp to sleep for the night. Kagome didn't tell anyone about her training with Midoriko and Inuyasha didn't bother to talk to her—yet again. She curled up on her bedroll and fell asleep, exhausted from the day's events.

O o O o O o O o O

Blackness greeted Naraku's red eyes as he opened them after a deep meditation, the candles all burned out. It was time. He finally came up with a plan after a week and a half of contemplation. It wasn't what he had hoped for but it would do. He needed practice, though, before he tried to take Kagome.

Naraku stood up and called out to his surroundings, finding and commanding all the youkai near him to come to him. They would be his test subjects. If he couldn't keep control of his body while mind controlling the youkai, then he would have to pull outside help. That was something he did not wish to do.

The first youkai to heed his call was a small bear child. Naraku chained it to the floor and sat back at a distance perfect for watching without being in the direct line of its claws or teeth. He started the process slow, working through his own mental locks to access the power that usually took him over. It sat caged in his mind, biting at the bit to be free. He released it.

Naraku's body relaxed visibly and the power shimmered in his eyes, darkening them to a deeper burgundy. He directed his focus onto the bear child's small mind, staring straight into his eyes. He felt himself leave his own mind, shift through the air and into the mind of the bear child. Its mind was very simple. His likes and dislikes were on the surface and his instincts were all that took over the youkai child's thoughts when in danger.

Soon, Naraku had the youkai child's mind mapped out completely. Now all he had to do was take the last step to controlling its mind at the same time as he controlled his own body. Steeling himself for the ramifications, Naraku took the plunge and made the youkai child struggle against his bonds. At the same time, Naraku let a small part of himself float back into his body and tried to move. It didn't work.

Naraku found himself slammed back into his own body with a jolt and lost his hold on the bear child. His breathing was labored and sweat dripped down his back. He cursed. How was he going to make it work? The answer eluded him.

O o O o O o O o O

The first week was uneventful for the group of four traveling to the Taijiya village. Kagome found time each night to practice her power calling until it became second nature to her. She could call it at will at any time without the aid of the chant or the relaxation pose.

When they reached the last village before the hunting trail, Kagome bought her weapons. The katana was wrapped in cloth with a strap that allowed it to rest along side her shoulder pack while the quiver filled with arrows and the long bow were strapped to her back like any normal archer's gear would be.

Inuyasha stayed mainly silent and focused on everything but Kagome, as usual, and only commented when Miroku let his hands wander. Kagome found her gaze moving to him every chance she could to stare at him without being noticed. She couldn't explain it. She was drawn to him.

"So, were are we camping tonight?" Miroku commented to the air. Kagome shook herself out of her thoughts, looking to Inuyasha for direction.

Inuyasha turned to face the sky, calculating how much day light they had left. "We'll walk for another two hours before stopping. There's a camp that's hidden from the path we can use."

Miroku nodded and went back to chatting with Sango. Kagome stayed in her own little world—partially listening to Sango and Miroku. She missed the beautiful sunset and the fact that Inuyasha had turned his attention to her. In the last week, Inuyasha noticed a change in Kagome. He was puzzled by it. He didn't know what it was, couldn't put his finger on it.

He watched a slight breeze pick up tendrils of Kagome's loose hair; watched the graceful way her hand came up to tuck it behind an ear and how her face lit with laughter at some joke Miroku made. Her attention seemed divided. Her deep chocolate eyes were slightly clouded. Her lips—perfectly plump and shaped for kissing—glistened as she licked them to moisten them. She turned her head away and gazed out at the forest, that clouded far away look growing stronger in her eyes. Something was definitely different about her. He only wished he knew what it was.

"We're here," Inuyasha said as he shoved his thoughts to the back of his mind. He needed to check the perimeter of the camp to make sure no one had been there recently. He also needed to hunt for dinner and make sure that they were safe from anyone who might stumble upon them later. He needed to focus, not fantasize about Kagome's lips kissing him or her gentle hands caressing his chest.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Miroku, stay with the women. I'll be back after I check out the area."

The three humans watched Inuyasha walk away broodingly, not evening waiting for a response. "What's up with him?"

Kagome looked puzzled. Sango shook her head. "I don't know."

Miroku shrugged and began to work on preparing a fire. Sango cleared three spots close to where the fire would be for them to place their bedrolls. Sango made sure her bedroll was close to Kagome's and Miroku's spot was across from them. She did not need to be awakened in the middle of the night by wandering hands.

Kagome kept to herself during her chores. She explored the new found feelings her powers gave her. They were amazing. She had tried many times over the past week to make her own inner self and a secret place but so far she couldn't hold the image in her mind. She could create it but it would start to disappear within a few minutes.

Kagome looked up at her two busy companions. She felt somewhat guilty for not telling them about her powers but they were so new to her, she wanted to explore them herself before she was bombarded with questions about what she could and couldn't do.

She kept trying to create her inner self as she took off the bow and quiver and unpacked her katana. As her fingers gracefully caressed the hilt, a whisper came to her. The whisper was exactly like how Midoriko called her that first time. Her time to train again had come.

Kagome stood and placed the katana on her hip, strapped there by the ties on her miko robes. She had been given a set by Kaede and changed into them when her kimono became too restricting for their forest travel. The whisper grew louder, not distinct words but that same feeling of wanting to be alone.

"I'm going to go out to the forest for a little while. I wont be far."

Sango looked up in startlement. "Shouldn't you wait for Inuyasha to come back to say it's safe?"

"I can't wait that long. He'll be able to track me and like I said, I'm not going far," Kagome threw over her shoulder as she walked passed the two stunned humans and entered the forest. She followed an invisible path out to a secluded clearing. She breathed in deeply of the fresh clean air and listened to the chorus the crickets made. The sun had been down for the last hour and the moon slowly crept up over the tree line—a sliver missing from its full form. It gave off enough light that she didn't need any torches or a fire to light the clearing.

Kagome closed her eyes and drew up the image of Midoriko. A pink glow suffused the clearing and Midoriko's partially transparent floating figure appeared. "Very good. Your getting much better at this."

Kagome smiled. "Arigatou. It's getting easier when I know what you feel like and can make the distinction between my power and what's left of yours."

Midoriko glanced at the katana that rested at Kagome's side. "I see you have your katana. That's good. I called to you so we can start your lessons with it. I will show you the intricate moves Tendo no Mai uses. I cannot physically touch you since my true physical form is no longer here but I'm hoping you'll be able study the moves just by watching."

Midoriko paused to make sure Kagome understood what she wanted her to do. "Now, Tendo no Mai is very much like a dance. The moves were derived from an old dance form brought here from one of the countries that no longer exists. Instead of using something like a fan or the bells, a katana is the only prop and is incorporated as a weapon."

Midoriko drew her katana without a sound. She held the katana out at her side, the tip pointing down yet not touching the ground. She slowly made an arch up until the katana was above her head then brought it down in front of her, her hand held level with the middle of her neck just. She brought up her other hand in an arch that mirrored the other and gripped the hilt with both hands.

Kagome watched as Midoriko moved, her katana an extension of her body. She was in awe of Midoriko. She twirled and contorted her body with such grace and agility—it was amazing. Each move had a specific purpose: to stab, to slash, to hit, to maim, to hold. It was truly a dance, an art and a weapon.

Midoriko twirled again, bringing her katana up and over head head. She ended the twirl in a lunge as she stabbed at an invisible enemy. She turned the stab into a slash as she moved backwards out of the way of an invisible attack. Then she brought her arms in close to her body, her katana wavering like a snake to keep an enemy away—a masterful illusion.

Suddenly, Midoriko twirled out to the right, then to the left, her katana flashing a silver pink glow each time it left her side and stabbed out at an invisible enemy. She ended the motion by standing still, her feet together and her legs bent slightly, twirling the katana up over her head. She moved quickly forward after catching it to decapitate her invisible enemy.

Midoriko sheathed her katana, her demonstration done. Kagome stood up, awe struck—she had sat down to study the moves when Midoriko started. "That was amazing."

"It is very impressive. After you have mastered the form, you can modify it to fit your needs. I'll got through it again slower so you can see every little movement I make."

Kagome sat back down on her rock and watched as Midoriko went through the same moves but slower. She saw every minute detail, ingraining it into her mind. If Midoriko was still alive, Kagome was sure she would have seen each muscle move and each breath Midoriko took. When Midoriko stopped and sheathed her katana again, Kagome stood. "Let me try it."

Kagome moved away from the rocks and took up the first position, letting her hand get use to the weight of the katana. She started slowly, copying what she had seen. She allowed her body time to get use to the way she needed to move and contort, feeling odd muscles that she never used before stretch and strain. Midoriko gave her advice, letting her know when her arms needed to be held closer to her body, when she needed to move a few seconds faster, how she needed to hold her body to move into the next position.

That's how Inuyasha found them. When Sango and Miroku had told him she had just left camp, without saying why or how long she would be, his first feeling was anger then he had gotten worried. He could smell her trail and she hadn't gotten far but there was something he felt in the air around her scent that was off.

"Very good. Tilt you arm a little bit more to the left. That's it. Now move you right foot forward then over to the right," Midoriko directed. She moved her hands over Kagome's body without touching, directing where she needed to place her limbs.

Inuyasha watched the two women move there bodies in a way he had never seen before. He was entranced. He felt himself lean against a tree as he watched without meaning to, unable to look away. His anger abated and his worry disappeared. It was beautiful—Kagome's body and the strange dance. It was an art and a practical way to move offensively and defensively. A way to protect one's body while attacking at the same time. The moves were graceful and sleek and, he admitted to himself, seductive—that is, if you weren't the one facing the attack.

Inuyasha became distracted, forgetting about the katana moves and just watched Kagome's body. As she worked, repeating the same moves over and over, sweat dampened her miko robes. They adhered to her body, making every line and shape visible to his golden eyes. Her breasts swayed and he wanted to touch them, mold them to his hands and tweak her nipples. He wanted his lips on her own and his hands wrapped up in her sweat slicked hair. He wanted her out of breath because _he_ was tormenting her body in the most delicious way, not because of some long lost fighting technique.

Inuyasha turned away before his fantasies took over and he moved to fulfill them. He curled his fingers into his palms, letting the tips of his claws prick his skin. The pain helped him to keep his wits.

"You did very well, Kagome. You have the moves now. Next time, we'll try to infuse your katana with your powers. For now, just practice as you can."

"Hai. I'll try."

"Just don't overwork yourself," Midoriko threw to her as her figure faded away. Kagome sheathed her katana and yawned.

"So this is where you've been," Inuyasha said loudly. His unexpected nearness made Kagome jump slightly at the sound of his voice.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing here?" Kagome placed a hand over her racing heart. Guilt crept up on her for not telling him were she was going but she quickly squashed it.

"Finding you. You left camp and made Sango and Miroku worried."

Kagome blinked uncomprehendingly. She figured Sango and Miroku were worried about her due to her sudden rush from camp. But was Inuyasha worried as well? Was that why he went to find her? "Were you worried too?"

"Keh. Why would I be worried?" Inuyasha retorted. He looked anywhere but at her to hide his true feelings. Of course he was worried, but he didn't want her to know that. "I just came so Sango and Miroku wouldn't keep bothering me about it."

Kagome paled, saddened and hurt by the news. Instead of giving into the temptation to let them bring down her mood, she looked to anger to mask her other emotions. It was irrational of her but she couldn't think of anything else to do. "You didn't have to come yourself, you know. Sango and Miroku could have fond me themselves without trouble."

Inuyasha's ears flattened to his head at her angered voice. His sensitive ears didn't like her tone. "Keh. And what were you doing? Why did you disappear to go out and...and do _that_?" Inuyasha gestured wildly to the clearing. He gave her back his own anger. Let's see how she liked that!

"It's training. I need to do it."

"Why didn't you tell any of us?"

"Because! It's none of your business!" Kagome's voice rose but she held back at the last minute from shouting at the top of her lungs. Instead, she yelled in an angry whisper at him. She didn't realize that she threw Inuyasha's own words from the start of their trip right back at him. Her emotions clogged her mind and she turned away from him, unable to think clearly. She balled her fists by her sides and stalked out of the clearing.

"Keh," she heard Inuyasha huff as he walked behind her. He watched Kagome's back and gazed half admiringly as her hips swayed in anger.

_It __is __my __business. _You _are __my __business, _Inuyasha thought. It was too embarrassing voice aloud but he could admit it to himself. And the thought of her hurt only added to his already short temper. She could have been attacked by a stray youkai or bandits or tripped over some hidden root and broken a leg. The thought of her injured was something he never wanted to think about. The question of _why_ he cared never popped into his mind.

Kagome felt her anger grow with each step. It insulated her heart from the many other emotions that wanted to take her on a tumultuous ride. She didn't understand what she felt anymore. It was quite ridiculous, actually. Kagome sighed and allowed her anger to loosen its hold on her, slowing her stride half way back to camp.

To stop herself from feeling anything hurtful, she allowed her anger to grow out of proportion to the point where she snapped back at Inuyasha—doing the same thing she wished for him to stop. It was so unlike her. It did anger her that Inuyasha couldn't even be the tiniest bit nicer to her after so many days spent in each others company. And for the life of her, she didn't know how to bridge the gap he set between them. Didn't know how to make him trust her, to open up to her. But that wasn't a reason for her to become so angry at him. It wasn't his fault.

And he did have the right to be mad at her—this time. She hadn't told anyone why she left or what she'd been doing every night. There were some serious dangers out in the forest. Anything could have happened to her without anyone the wiser. Guilt and remorse crept up on her. She wanted to tell him she was sorry but one glace back at him told her he would not accept it. Not right now. He was still too furious with her.

Upon entering the camp, Kagome felt both mentally and physically exhausted as she let the last bit of her anger die. Unable to give voice to the many things she felt, she quietly walked over to her bedroll and lay down, her back towards her three companions. She didn't have the energy to face them and their many questions.

Sango and Miroku looked at each other in bewilderment. Neither were sure what had gone on between their two friends. With a shrug, they finished their meal in silence. And when Sango left the campfire to go to her own bedroll, she swore she heard Kagome murmur baka. But whether Kagome was commenting on herself or on Inuyasha, Sango couldn't tell.

It only took an hour before Kagome realized that no matter how tired she was, she was not going to sleep. She tossed and turned, her thoughts keeping her awake. All the emotions from earlier came rushing back. Too many for her to take in all at once. But one thought and feeling pervaded her heart and mind. She wanted Inuyasha's love. She looked back on the fond memories of her parents when her father was alive and knew she wanted that with Inuyasha. It was strong, much stronger than before she met Inuyasha.

The thought startled Kagome. She sat up in her bedroll, the cool air stinging her warm arms. Love. She wanted love but not just from anyone, she wanted Inuyasha's love. When had she wanted his love with such a vengeance? She didn't know. But it was indeed what she wanted.

Was it because she liked him? For all his gruff and grump ways, Inuyasha was pursuing his own kind of justice for the woman he loved fifty years ago. He would not admit it but it was an honorable thing to do. And for all the times people have hated him or called him names because he was a hanyou, he didn't hold a grudge against all humans or youkai—just the ones who bad mouthed him. Yes, she did like him. She just didn't understand him.

Kagome felt a resolve build deep inside her. From that moment on, she would make it her personal mission to get Inuyasha to open up to her. One way or another, before they were married, they would at least talk without fighting. She hoped there could be more but for now, talking would be good. Maybe, during this trip, she could get Sango and Miroku to leave them alone for a little while? It would certainly help. They hadn't been alone since they met.

Kagome lay back down, a smile on her face and oblivious to the two golden eyes that watched her from the top of a tree. Inuyasha sat back on his branch, content for now. He wondered why Kagome hadn't told them about her nightly training with Midoriko. Did she not trust them enough? It was grating to feel that she did not place her trust in him. After all he was a hanyou. Why would she tell him something so personal and ask him to watch out for her when she could have a normal human or a full youkai be her body guard?

And Kikyou hadn't trusted him enough to tell him what Naraku had done to her either. Why would Kagome, a girl he'd known for only a few short weeks, tell him her every secret when the woman he loved for far longer hadn't? How could he get her to trust him enough to let him protect her?

The thoughts circled his mind until he could no longer deal with them. With a shake of his head, he bounded down from the tree to walk along the perimeter of their camp one last time before he let sleep take over.


	9. Chapter 8: Curse of the New Moon

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Takahashi Rumiko is the wonderful genius.

Author's Note: In case you haven't gone to my profile, I'm state my update here as well. I have reviewed the previous chapters and reedited them, fixing some spelling and grammatical errors and changed some sentence structures to better express what I had originally wanted. You do not need to reread all the chapters. I do suggest you go back to Chapter 7 and reread the last bit (I've rewritten the ending since it felt a bit rushed to me and not what I wanted at all.) I'm also sorry for how late Chapter 8 is. I decided to take a short hiatus in order to come back to it with a fresh mind. I will also post Chapter 9 before the spring semester starts for me in mid January. I can't make any promises about Chapter 10, but I promise again that I will not give up on this story. I will finish it. Thank you to those who have stuck around.

Definitions:

1 ri = 2.440 miles – In this chapter, I use the old Japanese measuring system to measure distances. The old system was used since it's development—in China then brought to Japan—until 1926 where it was converted into the metric system and then banned from all official use on March 31, 1966.

**Spellbound Destiny**

**Chapter****8:**** Curse ****of ****the ****New ****Moon**

Sango walked silently beside her companions, nervous and afraid. The last week and a half had passed without incident and now, just less than an hour away, the fate of her village would be revealed.

She looked at Kagome, concern darkening her eyes and a small portion of her heart. The poor girl had been through quite a bit on this trip. She had finally told them about her nightly practices the morning after she had come back with Inuyasha, upset and silent. It was amazing how she could use her powers to that extent in so short a time. Sango promised to help her practice, both archery and katana sparing, to simulate real battle and prepare her.

She watched as the girl attempted many times to talk to Inuyasha over the past week and a half but to no avail. Inuyasha would not listen and now Kagome walked in silent defeat. After all this was done, Sango planned to give Inuyasha a good piece of her mind and make them sit down together—alone—for once. She could not stand seeing Kagome hurt.

A pink glow suddenly flashed before them. They stopped and starred at the transparent figure of a woman.

"We are close," she said by way of greeting.

"Midoriko," Kagome said in slight startlement. She had not called for Midoriko nor felt Midoriko call out to her.

Midoriko bowed her head slightly to the other three people then looked over to Kagome. "There is a cave beyond the village proper, where metal used to be mined. If you cannot find anything in the village, look there. That is where the last battle took place, where the Shikon no Tama was created."

"Hai. We understand."

Midoriko disappeared after bowing again to everyone. Sango blinked rapidly, unsure whether she had really seen Midoriko. It was like looking at her village's past. Midoriko held a striking resemblance to several families in her village—families she hoped were safe.

They quickened their pace, just enough to get them to the village faster without sacrificing the need to be cautious. Nothing seemed out of place to Sango so far. The forest sang with birds, the trees and underbrush were undisturbed and the ground they trekked over didn't hold any other foot prints. A typical normal day.

They slowed as they reached a clearing. Sango held her breath, afraid of what she might find. All the images that came to her mind, all the different scenarios she had run through her head on this trip did not prepare her for the sight that met her deep brown eyes. She could not make her feet move. Her breathing stilled and her heart pounded, rushing to her ears in a wave that drowned out all other noise.

The wooden wall, made out of thick tree trunks spiked at the ends, barely stood. There were holes where the wall had caught fire and places where several of the tree trunks had been shoved—to let something in or out was hard to tell. The sole gate somehow stood spike side down several yards away. The ground around the wall was littered with debris—rusty colored trails of blood, scattered wood and many bones.

As Sango walked closer, she could see into the village through the holes in the wall. The houses were destroyed—most of them burnt to the ground. Not a single soul was around. She assumed everyone had been killed or, if they were lucky, had escaped just in time.

With tears in her eyes, she made her way through the village. Kagome, Miroku and Inuyasha followed her lead and on guard. She took in every last detail—from the tiny skeletal hands of children, thrown haphazardly around the village, to the destroyed buildings and gardens and splotches of blood that coated everything like rain water after a storm.

Her village, her home, was gone. Just as Naraku had said. But it wasn't Inuyasha's doing. That was imposable. Whoever had come to destroy her village had done it when she and the rest of the warriors were out. Did Naraku set all this up, just to manipulate her?

The thought was too much. Sango crumpled, falling to her knees. Salty tears ran unchecked down her cheeks. They mixed with the long strands of her hair that blew across her face from high atop her head. Hiraikotsu lay forgotten behind her and she didn't even notice the slight pinch her youkai bone armor gave her as she fell.

Miroku came to her side and enfolded her in his arms, letting her cry her heart out in his chest. He soothed her by rubbing his hands up and down her arms and with words that made no sense to her addled mind. The tones were ones of comfort and sorrow and reassurance. She soaked up those feelings like a new sapling just broken through the ground to feel the sun for the first time, basking in their glory and finding solace.

Inuyasha scanned the village and scented the air. The same awful scent that enveloped Naraku also permeated the village but it was old. Nothing was fresh—not the carnage, the fire or the blood. Nothing new had come here in weeks. It was definitely Naraku's doing however. He growled silently and began to pace the perimeter of the village, alert for signs of Naraku's or his underlings' return. The bastard would love to gloat!

Kagome watched in silence, unable to do anything. She was stunned by the carnage and paralyzed by hints and wisps of memories of her own horror—the screams, the sounds of flesh tearing and of blood splattering. The loss of those she knew and loved ached again in her heart, not nearly as strong as six years ago but still there nonetheless. She knew what it was like to loose people she cared about and she did not wish that pain on Sango.

When Inuyasha finally came back to their group, Kagome found that she could move again and went to comfort Sango. She and Miroku were able to get Sango to stand and slowly begin to breathe, quieting her sobs until they were no more. Sango moved to a building off to the right and stared at it.

"Hanako just had a baby boy. She and her husband were happy and great new parents." Sango looked sadly at the house. She scanned the ground nearby to see if she could identify any of the remains as theirs but the bones where too scattered. "Kenta was afraid to leave Hanako and the baby so soon but my father said we needed him for the job. He never got to see them again, never got to say goodbye."

Sango knew every man, woman and child that lived in her village. As the leader's daughter and his oldest child, she was well known by everyone and well loved. She not only spent her days fighting youkai but also helped with the regular chores. She heard every bit of gossip about that young man and this woman and whom was about to wed or have a child. Every person of her community was a part of her life and now they were gone, taken away before their times by Naraku.

She did not doubt anymore that he was behind it. It was too perfect of an attack. Her mind offered the only enemy available: Naraku. The evil bastard! No one else would have stooped so low as to kill off an entire village.

Sango bent her head backwards and looked up at the sky. Rational thought descended as the shock slowly crept away. She would pay Naraku back but first, there were two places she needed to check out. If, for any reason, the village was attacked, the people were suppose to go to one of two meeting places and await for the return of the warriors. If they hurried, and divided the work, they could check them before night fell.

Sango turned to her worried companions. "We need to split up and check for survivors. There are two places we were all told to go if the village was attacked while the warriors were away. Miroku and I will head to one and you two can go to the other. I'll give you a map. If we're quick, we can make it there before nightfall. We'll meet back here tomorrow morning: all of us if there is no one hiding or just one of us while the other stays with the villagers."

The other three nodded. Sango set down her pack and searched for the map she knew was there. Once she found it, she gave it to Kagome and pointed out how to get to the hiding place. It was a small cavern located behind a waterfall two and a half ri from the village. Likewise, the hiding spot Sango would go to was also two and a half ri away but was an underground cavern—the entrance hidden by foliage along the side of a small river.

The distance was quite far but the Taijiya had developed a good system that usually gave advanced warning of an impending attack. Sango was sure that no advanced warning was given this time, considering the massive destruction and how many bones lay on the ground. But she had to check, just in case someone was able to make it out alive and ran to the caverns—where plenty of food, water and medicinal herbs were hidden. And since both caverns were close to water sources, youkai couldn't track them through scent.

After making a final check of their supplies, Sango took Miroku's hand and headed off to their cavern. They moved as quickly as they could—on alert. They watched for any strange movements in the trees and bushes and kept an eye out for any foot prints, human or otherwise. It took them almost three hours at that pace.

When they were only ten minutes away, Sango slowed enough to walk as silently as she could, waving at Miroku to do the same. She headed through the river—to hide their scent in case any youkai were around. She searched for any sign of recent activity from humans along the banks but nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Keeping a low profile, they headed straight for the foliage that hid the entrance. After carefully moving the branches of a tree out of the way, Sango stepped over an out cropping of bushes and rocks. Miroku followed.

The cavern was dark and slick with water that dripped from stalactites. Sango felt against the wall and found several torch hooks empty. If anyone had been there, torches would have been lit so no one would fall on the uneven and slick ground.

She sighed sadly. No one had come here during the attack. It was empty except for them. She hoped Kagome and Inuyasha had better luck. She hoped that somewhere, some of the village people were safe and alive. For now, she retrieved the torches and lit them and showed Miroku where they could make their beds for the night. As for dinner, it would be whatever stores where in the cavern and the little meat they had left in their packs from breakfast.

O o O o O o O o O

Inuyasha kept glancing at the sun, nervous. It was getting late and they still hadn't found the cavern. Kagome rode on his back, secured by his arms wrapped around her legs. They should have made it to the cavern by now. They had only a short time before the sun would be gone.

"Inuyasha, we should slow down and look at the map again."

"Keh. I know where we're going."

"The sun is starting to set. We should have already made it there."

"I know!" Inuyasha huffed. He did not need Kagome to tell him yet again. He shook his head, trying to get his bearings. The sharpness of his sense of smell was waning, his eye sight was dimming and Kagome was becoming a lot heavier. He hated this night.

Pushing onward, Inuyasha found a second wind and put on an extra dash of speed. Kagome scrambled to grab onto his shoulders to keep herself seated with a small squeak. His ears twitched constantly as his hearing became sharp and then dulled repeatedly.

He missed the signs and tripped on what he thought was a tree root sticking out of the ground. He caught Kagome when she was flung before she hit the ground and landed hard on his back, Kagome nestled safely on his chest. He felt a sharp prick on his ankle, enough to draw blood. Instead of focusing on his wound, Inuyasha ran his hands over Kagome's body to make sure she was fine.

"What happened?" Kagome asked in a slight daze.

Inuyasha couldn't look her in the eyes, embarrassed that he had tripped over a small root. "Don't worry about it. You're safe."

"Yes, I know. But what did you trip over?"

"I didn't trip."

"Yes, you did."

"I didn't trip!"

Inuyasha roughly put Kagome on the ground next him and stood. Immediately, his ankle throbbed and he couldn't put weight on his foot. Involuntarily, he cried out. Kagome grasped him. She wrapped an arm around his torso and draped one of his over her shoulders to hold him up.

"You're hurt. You can't walk like this. We need to find a place to stay." Kagome didn't stop to think about how he could possibly be hurt from such a small thing.

"It'll heal soon," Inuyasha said and looked up at the sky. It wouldn't. It was too late. The sun had almost disappeared from the horizon. He felt the change begin, the last rays of the sun painting his silver tinged black hair in mixed shades of orange, pink, red and coral.

Kagome urged them to walk a few steps, both their heads bent to watch the ground for anything else that may prove fatal to their lives. She heard a rustling and paused, pulling Inuyasha up short. She looked to the right and left of her quickly, scanning for any signs of what made the sound. There was nothing.

They began to walk again, hoping to be close to the cavern. The noise came again. This time, Kagome sped up to try and distance them from the sounds. They loped awkwardly another few steps. A hiss came from in front of them. Kagome looked up and gazed at the pale slitted eyes of a snake youkai. It sat coiled in their path, it's head the size of both Kagome's hands combined. It flicked it's tongue out at them and prepared to strike.

Inuyasha moved with the last of his youkai strength and pushed them out of the way. The snake landed where they had been, harmless for the moment. He realized it was the snake he had felt—the snake's fangs as it bit him on his ankle. Kagome hauled him back up and began to run, albeit awkwardly, as best as they could.

She felt a cool breeze stir her hair just off to her right and turned them in that direction. She breathed a sigh of relief when they stumbled upon a river. They followed it down, glancing periodically behind them to see if the snake followed. It did, a bit slower than they expected. Kagome picked up the pace and heard the sounds of a water fall. Inuyasha started to slump forward. His weight became too heavy for her to hold.

"Come on, just a little bit farther now. We can make it," she whispered to him. He didn't hear her.

She pushed him back into place and made her way to the waterfall, wading into the natural pool without a care. The snake stopped short of the water's edge and hissed. It coiled on the bank and watched them unhappily. Kagome moved forward steadily—the water taking some of Inuyasha's weight off her. She moved just beyond the waterfall and found the cavern they had been looking for all this time.

Carefully, Kagome walked out of the water, taking on Inuyasha's full weight with a small grunt. She laid him down on the slick cavern floor then felt around the walls. Sango had said that their were supplies hidden in the cavern, that torches would be close to the entrance so they could be lit to light to way. She found them without much trouble and dug around in her pack. Taking out two flint rocks, she banged them against each other to create sparks. When the torch caught, she quickly placed it in the holder on the cavern's wall and lit two more of the eight total torches. It was just enough to see the surrounding area. The cavern appeared to go much deeper but she did not want to get lost. Instead, she focused her energy on Inuyasha.

Kagome turned back to him only to gasp in shock. He lay where she had left him, his breath labored, skin sweating, his silver hair turned to black and no inu ears atop his head. What had happened to him? It could not be from a simple fall and an injured ankle.

Kagome moved towards Inuyasha with determination. She wasn't going to let him die. She took his injured ankle into her hand and inspected it. Standing out against his pale skin were twin angry red spots. Was this the snake's doing?

Thinking quickly, Kagome took the small pot she carried and filled it with the waterfall's cool water. She placed it in the circle of light she had created with the torches and then dragged Inuyasha's body over to it. She retrieved and rolled her other set of clothes up and carefully placed Inuyasha's head on the makeshift pillow. Once she thought he was comfortable—at least as comfortable as he could get—she walked back over to the entrance of the cavern.

Digging deep within herself, Kagome sought out her power. She found and followed a thread that led her to a powerful miko chant to keep out evil. The power hummed through her, sending sparks down her veins and a slight dizzying rush to her head. The entrance glowed pink in the shape of a half dome and shimmered. She reinforced the barrier with hand symbols, placing a set on the left, right, top and bottom. Standing back, Kagome admired her work with a smile. She had done it quite well for her first time and was proud of herself for constructing it without Midoriko's help. She was finally getting a handle on her powers.

Moving back to Inuyasha, she gazed down at him with sad eyes. She desperately hoped that he was not seriously injured, that he would not die. She knelt next to him and tugged a cloth from her pack. Her hand shook slightly as she used it to bathe his face with the cool water from the waterfall. It was all she could do to bring down the fever that had set in. Unfortunately, Kagome did not feel comfortable going deeper into the cavern to find the medicinal herbs Sango said were stored there. And her miko powers were not yet ready to taken on so sick a person. This would have to do till morning.

Inuyasha felt like his skin was burning from the inside out. His mind raced with all the things he should have done and the things he should have avoided until after this night. It was a well kept secret of his and now it was out. He couldn't comprehend what that would do to their relationship.

Suddenly, his body was washed in sweat. His mind grew fuzzy until he couldn't think anymore. He tried hard to keep in control but the burning fire grew more heated until all he felt were flames. Flames that danced and flickered and took him to another place and time.

_Inuyasha sat longingly gazing out at the yard around him. His mother, just a few yards away, lay on the floor in the room behind him, crying as her father berated her for the crime she had committed—of having a hanyou child. He had shoved Izayoi to the ground, yelling at her for showing her face at his house after he had forbidden her return._

_Inuyasha flattened his ears against his head. He tried to drown out the fighting but it was hard. He hated hearing his mother's tears, hated seeing her hurt in any way. Where was his father? Where was Inutaisho?_

_A small figured approached him tentatively, taking his attention away from his mother. A human boy, no older than he at seven, walked up to him and gave him a small smile. Fear wafted from him in small doses but curiosity lent him courage to talk to Inuyasha._

"_Do you want to play with me?" the boy asked._

_Inuyasha nodded, unable to speak for fear of frightening the boy away with his fangs. The bold boy came up to him and grabbed his hand, unmindful of the claws. He tugged Inuyasha with him until they came to a small field that housed all kinds of toys. There, the boy let go of his hand and ran over to a ball. He picked it up and, laughing, threw it an Inuyasha. Inuyasha caught it and tossed it back to him, happy to have a real friend. His first friend._

_It wasn't until several days later that Inuyasha felt like something was wrong. His father hadn't come back to get them yet and his mother stayed inside her room all day. Satoshi, the boy who befriended him, walked up to Inuyasha with his head down and his fists clenched tight. He couldn't smell any salty tears from the boy so Satoshi wasn't crying. But something was wrong with him._

_Inuyasha moved towards Satoshi, happy to play with him again and blot out whatever was bothering the boy. Satoshi pulled away and ran from him. Not knowing what to do, Inuyasha floowed after Satoshi. It was an interesting game of chase. He laughed with excitement and joy._

_He didn't notice when Satoshi pulled up short or the fact that they were now behind his grandfather's palace. Inuyasha's smile faltered as he came to a halt facing a group of slightly older boys—about ten or eleven years old. It came back when he thought the older boys wanted to play too._

"_Good job, Otouto," the eldest said and patted Satoshi's back._

_Satoshi looked up at Inuyasha with hate filled eyes. Inuyasha took a step back, his smile falling from his face and fear clouding his mind. Something wasn't right, just as he had suspected earlier. Satoshi had never before faced him with hate. What could have happened to make the boy turn on him? _

_Inuyasha turned to run but didn't get far when another boy caught him. He struggled against the boy, his mother's warning about not using his full strength against humans echoing in his mind. The boy grinned and only held him tighter. _

_Satoshi's older brother walked calmly up to him. He grinned down at Inuyasha with superiority and fisted his hand. He made sure Inuyasha was watching when he pulled back his arm and threw a punch to Inuyasha's face. Inuyasha closed his eyes and flattened his ears against his skull, already knowing the punch was going to hurt but unable to stop him. His mother's warning kept ringing in his ears. He did not want to hurt these children._

_Satoshi followed his brother's lead as the rest of the boys joined in. They hit and punched and kicked Inuyasha fiercely, shouting names at him. Tears gathered in Inuyasha's eyes but he would not dignify the boys with his response. He mourned the loss of his friend, Satoshi, hardening his heart against people like him. The physical wounds would heal in no time but Inuyasha made sure that every moment of his torture was ingrained in his heart. He would never forget. _

_A sharp kick to his ribs made Inuyasha cry out against his will, loud enough that his mother heard him. She came running out of her room and behind the palace with speed born from the instinct to protect her child, her kimono barely tied around her slim figure. She swatted at the children, scattering them away from her son, and gingerly pick Inuyasha up. Izayoi vowed never to let anyone hurt him again._

_Outraged that her father and nephews could be so cruel, Izayoi returned to her room to care for her son. Within the hour, she and Inuyasha were gone, never to be seen by her father again. Now, she just hoped her husband would find them before something else happened. _

_And all Inuyasha could think was why. Why would the boy he befriended turn on him? Why did they hate him so much? Why was he the one kicked and punched and tormented? But no answer was forth coming. Instead, Inuyasha knew he had to protect himself. He was the only one who could do it. From now on, he vowed he wouldn't let anyone into his heart. He would not fall prey to betrayal again._

A wash of something cool grazed Inuyasha's face then went away. He turned his head toward it, wishing the cool comfort would stay longer as his mind came back to the present, blotting out those hateful memories.

Kagome refused to let her tears fall. In his fevered haze, Inuyasha did not know that he had shared that indecent with Satoshi with her. Somehow, her powers were tuned into him. She relived every moment of that betrayal right alongside Inuyasha, seeing through his eyes and feeling his thoughts and emotions. Betrayal ran deep in his life. He could never get a break.

She ached to hold him, to comfort him and lend her own strength to his battered soul. She wanted to show him that life wasn't always like that. But all she could do now was to make him as comfortable as possible. Kagome turned back to her task of keeping him cool.

Inuyasha heard something dip under water and then rung out a little. The soft cool cloth came back across his face a few minutes later, this time dripping water down his neck. After a few passes, he felt the cloth leave and heard it being place in the the water—to rest. He felt himself being moved. His clothes rustled and the cool air hit his flesh. Kagome was removing his clothes.

When she reached his pants, he felt her hands hesitate. Her body heat flared a bit before settling back down and then her hands were on him again, carefully pulling his legs free of his hakama after untying the knot. She sat by his foot, the one that had been injured, and took it into her lap to exam it.

Kagome gaze upon the foot with dismay. The ankle was swollen and a fiery red trail extended out from the snake bite up his leg in a fine spiderweb like fashion. The snake was poisonous and the poison was spreading quickly. She did not know how to get it out of his body and, at the rate it was going, it would consume him by morning. She felt tears come to her eyes again but she refused to let them fall. Not yet. She would not turn into a blubbering idiot when she still had some time before he would die. She could do something for him with the hours that were ahead.

Kagome laid out Inuyasha's clothes like a blanket and then carefully placed him on top—cushion his body from the hard ground and allow her better access to bathe his skin. She then went back to his head and placed it in her lap, taking up the cloth again.

His breathing was labored and his heart pounded out of control. To calm him down, Kagome grasped one of his hands in hers and brought her mouth down to his very human ear. She whispered sweet comforting words to him, her chin quivering ever so slightly as the emotions surfaced again, refusing to stay where she had locked them.

She didn't love him. It was too soon for that. But the emotion that welled up was the first blushing bloom of such love. If they had more time, she knew it would change and grow and become exactly as she had wished it to be all along. No one had moved her like Inuyasha had. She prayed they would have the chance to continue on their path together, to fully explore what marriage would bring them and what joys would come after the hurdles they would face together. In the mean time, she comforted him as best she could, alternating from speaking to him and bathing him in the col water until he was able to fall into a fitful sleep. No more nightmarish dreams came.

Kagome lost track of what hour it was, only marking time by how fast the red spiderweb spread up his body. When it reached his hips, Inuyasha stirred. He mumbled something to her.

"What is it?" she asked kindly.

He gripped her hand tighter and waited until her face was only a few inches from his. "Your scent...is comforting. Your presence is...comforting too." He spoke as if his tongue was too thick for his mouth, slow and stilted with pauses.

"My scent?" she asked, taken aback.

He moved his head in the tiniest nod she had every seen. "It's so...different...for anyone else's. So pleasant. It makes me," he swallowed roughly, "wonder where...it's from."

He settled back down and left Kagome stunned. Apparently, he loved her scent. She had found another layer to him. He never voiced aloud his true feelings, keeping them hidden deep inside and only acknowledging them when he wasn't able to control his own thoughts and speech. He used it as a shield, to pushed people away as best he could. Well, she wouldn't leave. He would just have to deal with it.

Kagome smiled happily, her eyes drooping and her mind tiring. The journey had been long and the chase had worn her out, especially since they hadn't had anything to eat since lunch. She found her eyes closing while her head dipped

down, a cheek came to rest on one of Inuyasha's. She was asleep in a matter of minutes, her hand still tightly gripped in Inuyasha's.

O o O o O o O o O

Inuyasha came awake with a start. He jerked his hand out of Kagome's and tried to look around. Kagome's head was in the way. In a gentle gesture that was unlike him, he moved slowly and sat up. He twisted around and placed Kagome on his clothes.

After he moved a safe distance form her, he examined his body. The red spiderweb was almost to his heart. His skin was pale but it no longer held the great heat from just a few short hours ago. He was hungry and sore. But his strength _was_ returning.

Inuyasha looked over at the entrance to the cavern, seeing a few small gray rays of light beyond the barrier Kagome had erected. It was a powerful barrier. One which he had never seen the like before. He gazed at Kagome over his should. No wonder Kagome was so tired. To have exhausted all her strength putting that up then taking care of him, it was a miracle she was only sleeping and not unconscious. It was also a wonder that she could continue to feed the barrier with her power while asleep. Most barriers became weak or disappeared altogether as the one feeding it lost their conscious hold on the power during sleep. Kagome's barrier held strong and sure, never wavering or weakening.

Turning back to the entrance, Inuyasha felt more of his strength flood his veins. He felt the shift in his blood as his youkai side returned. His hair turned silver and his ears moved back atop his head then transformed into their normal state. He extended his hands and saw his short human nail extend to become his claws. And, though he couldn't see it, his eyes glowed brightly as they came back to the beautiful golden color Kagome liked so much.

While the changes transformed him back into hanyou, he felt the poison begin to recede. His natural healing abilities took over and closed the bite on his ankle, brought down the swelling, killed the poison and made him whole again.

With the clarity of a new day, and his restored health, Inuyasha remembered the things he said when he had awakened in the middle of the night, the nightmare he had relived. They made him blush and fluster with unknown feelings. How could he have said those deeply guarded secrets—while she was awake no less!

He turned, hearing Kagome stir, and realized he was still naked. Though the thought of her seeing his naked body was arousing, he didn't think it would sit well with her. Not with him fully healed and naked above her. His good health would be shock enough. Quietly, so as not to wake her further, he unrolled her bedroll, picked her up and placed her on it. After shaking out her rolled up kimono, he placed it on top of her like a blanket and then dressed.

The cavern was fairly large he found upon getting a clearer view. Through the meager light of the rising sun, he took in the winding tunnel in the back. His youkai blood gave him the advantage of seeing in the dark and when his curiosity got the better of him, nothing stopped him from exploring.

He was gone no more than thirty minutes and came back with some cheese and dried and salted fish. Though the attack was three weeks ago, the scent in the cavern indicated that someone had been here recently. The cool temperatures in the cavern made it ideal to store food for a few days. Someone else, other than the Taijiya, knew about this place. But for now, they were safe. He could not see or smell any fresh signs of the intruder. The scent was days old and he didn't think they would be coming back after discovering the barrier.

Inuyasha sat cross legged against the wall of the cavern, several feet away from Kagome. Before he could take his first bite of the fish, she began to stir again and woke slowly. He watched, fascinated, as she stretched her body languorously, the top half of the kimono drifting to her waist. Her breasts hitched up and her arms stretched over her head, giving him the perfect view of her upper body.

Inuyasha wanted to move farther away from her, watching her body with suspicious eyes, but he was already up against the wall. There was no where else for him to go. Her body tempted him in ways he had never felt—not even with Kikyou. He tried to look away. Yet his eyes kept straying back to her as she moved around restlessly. She suddenly bolted upright and he quickly turned his head, in an attempt to make it seem as if he had not been staring at her.

Kagome's heart pounded in her ears. Her breathing grew uneven and fast. Dread consumed her. She did not want to look down and find Inuyasha dead. She looked down slowly at where she lay, noticing for the first time that Inuyasha was not near her. Frantic, she turned her head in every direction to find him. If he wasn't stone cold dead beside, where could he be? Did he awaken again last night and crawl away, plunging to his death in the river?

Finally gazing out to the side, she caught a bit of red from the back wall. Thank Kami-sama! He sat against the cavern's wall, back to normal and alive. The relief washed over her in a dizzying wave. When it left, her mind finally comprehended that he was hanyou again. His silver hair was back. And his eyes were golden, not a deep pool of brown. And his ears! The urge to hop into his lap and rub them overwhelmed her. She held back, squashing the urge before she acted and embarrassed them both.

Kagome watched him turn his head to her, his face unreadable. "How...?" The words stuck in her throat. She was too shocked to speak.

Inuyasha shrugged. "My youkai blood started coming back at sunrise. My blood can heal me faster than a normal human."

"But how come you were human last night?"

Inuyasha looked away. So she didn't know. He could just not answer her. Then his secret would be safe. But she would continue to bother him with the same question, shooting him hurt looks whenever he was turned away from her. And for some reason, he didn't want to hold secrets from her anymore. Inuyasha sighed. "All hanyou have one time a month where our youkai blood recedes, leaving only the human. Our appearance changes so we look human and all the special qualities our youkai blood gives us are gone. My day is the night of the new moon."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kagome asked, upset and yet relieved. The snake wasn't what caused his change. Only the natural rhythm of his body. "I would have made sure we waited an extra day before going to the village."

Inuyasha looked her in the eye, deadly serious. "I haven't told anyone about it. Even my parents don't know what day mine is. It's a curse. We become vulnerable and if anyone found out, we could be killed. Too many people hate hanyou for us to go telling our secrets. So don't tell anyone."

"I wont," she said and shook her head. "But don't you think Sango and Miroku should know? They'll be traveling with us for a while." Kagome became silent when Inuyasha shook his head vehemently.

"No. No one else. Ever."

Kagome's relief and their argument was cut short. A sharp thwack rang throughout the cavern and both turned their attention to the sound. A blurred figure stood by the barrier, hitting it with something they couldn't identify.

Kagome stood slowly, unsure of what to do. She had been training for the last few weeks but she was not yet ready for a true battle. And Inuyasha was just healed after the attack last night. They could not fight properly. Yet she watched, unbelieving, as Inuyasha brought up a hand, cracked his knuckles and prepared to meet there attacker—all while she stood frozen, afraid for their lives, and the barrier flickered and faded.

In front of them stood a tall youkai. He was a mix of two beings—snake and bat—all wrapped up in a humanoid form. Kagome shivered. It gave her the creeps. The face stared at her with pale snake eyes while it's arms, which held bat like wings attached to them, were still positioned with a tree branch grasped in his hands in mid swing. The snake from last night curled itself on the bank of the river, just a few yards away.

Shaken out of her stupor by the pounding of her heart and the very real danger, Kagome quickly gathered the clothes from the ground around them and stuffed them in her pack. She then placed the pack on her back, ready to run when given the chance. Inuyasha stood menacingly, watching the intruder as he slowly lowered the tree branch.

"You have been very hard to find," the snake-bat youkai hissed. "I do not like games." He drew out the s and his tongue flicked out. The action sent shivers up Kagome's spine. It was creepy.

Without warning, he dropped the tree branch and lunged at Inuyasha. Inuyasha grinned and met him half way, his claws extended at the intruder's face.

"Sankon Tetsusou," he yelled and slashed down. The youkai intruder dodged, using his wings to help move farther away.

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed. This would be no easy kill. He launched himself into frenzied attacks, never letting up. The intruder dodge easily and lured Inuyasha outside the cavern.

They stood face to face on the river bank. Kagome surveyed their fight in stunned silence, helpless. Since the start of her training, her power had given her hope and security. Helplessness was a feeling she was familiar with, recalling the day Naraku attacked her home, and she never wanted to relive that again.

Inuyasha crouched, twitching his fingers and readying his claws. He pulled up his lips and allowed his fangs to glint off the sun. He growled menacingly and prepared himself for the right moment. The youkai shifted ever so slightly and Inuyasha pounced, his razor sharp claws coming down to finally tear flesh. Fresh blood splattered on the ground. The intruder only grinned back in return.

Inuyasha jumped away from the youkai and stared at him, confused. The forgotten snake slithered silently through the grass. It wound its way up Inuyasha's foot and leg until its head rested against Inuyasha's hip. The youkai's head moved a tiny fraction and the snake bit down hard on the tend flesh of Inuyasha's hip.

With his prey distracted, trying to find the now retreating snake, the youkai moved in. He brandished a dagger from his back and stabbed Inuyasha's chest. Inuyasha hissed in pain and swiped his claws against the youkai. The youkai dodged, falling back to a safe distance to watch Inuyasha roughly remove the dagger and throw it to the ground.

Kagome stood stock still in horror. Then furry overtook her. How dare that youkai use such an underhanded trick! She stared at the snake through a pink sparking haze. Her blood boiled. Without thought, her hand came up and she speared the snake completely through three times with glowing pink bolts before slashing the head off for good measure.

Her anger spent, Kagome felt her legs give way under her and her body crumple to the ground. Inuyasha stared, his eyes wide, then ran to catch her before her head could hit the ground. The youkai was faster. He clasped Kagome to him and leveled his claws to Kagome's throat. Her eyes never fluttered open and her chest moved rhythmically, albeit slowly. She was unconscious.

Enraged, Inuyasha forgot about the snake bite and its poison that coursed through his blood yet again. He gouged his claws into the dagger wound on his chest viciously, letting the blood thoroughly coat his claws. He ran a few steps, giving himself a small flash of momentum. "Hijin Ketsusou!" he yelled and brought his hand out towards the youkai's head, his blood scattering across the ground. Several blood red blades cut the youkai's head, one severing it from his body.

Inuyasha ran to Kagome as she fell a final time and caught her just before she met the ground. His hands were everywhere at once, touching her to make sure everything was in the right place. Thankfully, the youkai hadn't had time to harm her.

Cradling her in his arms, He walked over to the river and sat down with her head pillowed in his lap. He let the rest of her body lay beside him and carefully splashed cool water onto her face. She didn't move. He checked again to make sure she was breathing. She was. He realized then that the use of such power, untrained, had exhausted her beyond her endurance. She only slept. Not dead.

He breathed a sigh of relief and, now with the danger gone, waited for her to waken. Once she was conscious again, they would head back to the Taijiya village to meet up with their companions.

O o O o O o O o O

Naraku cursed violently and paced, his plans ruined yet again. His first true test of mind control had worked. The snake-bat youkai had done everything he order. He was just upset it was over so soon. Coming across the hanyou bastard and the girl alone had been sheer luck.

Distance was still an issue—he could only be eight ri away—but at lest he could now control the subject while moving his body around. Overall, it was a very satisfying test. The problem was that he had had the perfect opportunity to grab the girl and it slipped through his fingers, all because his test subject wasn't very powerful.

Naraku stopped short of completing his last pace, standing dead center in the room. He turned his gaze to the door, scenting the air and reveling in the fear. Just outside stood a nervous servant, ready to take his breakfast order. Smiling in glee, he whipped out a tentacle and bashed the shoji door, grabbing the human servant. Amid the screams and the blood, Naraku laughed—his furry finally found an outlet. To bad he would not be able to come back to this quaint little town again. The villagers were so much fun to play with.


	10. Chapter 9: Mystery

Disclaimer: I once again do not own Inuyasha. That is the sole realm of Takahashi Rumiko.

Author's Note: I've had a wonderful winter break so far and hope that you all have as well. Though I started on this chapter later than I had intended—some of my Christmas gifts distracted me—I am none-the-less keeping my promise. I go back to school January 17th and though I can't promise when the chapters after this will come, I will write when I have the time.

Definitions:

Bamboo Scroll – a scroll made out of long thin strips of bamboo called slips attached together by string that originated in ancient China. The oldest intact one is roughly from the 5th century BC although there are some references of them going back farther to about the Shang period (1250 BC).

Ookami – wolf (in this case, wolf youkai)

**Spellbound Destiny**

**Chapter 9: Mystery**

Sango awoke from a fitful sleep, unable to rest any longer. She turned over and stared at the innocent looking houshi with contempt. How could he sleep so soundly? It made no sense to her. After their first meeting, she knew right away that he held a special place for women. All women. Be they short or tall, fat or thin or even old and ugly. She had expected him to try something since they were alone for the first time.

Instead, he had calmly and quietly taken to his bedroll without a single flirty comment to her. Not once, awake or in sleep, had he move to grope her or pressure her into other more pleasurable pursuits. Blushing profusely, Sango turned around and ignored the sleeping monk. But after a few more restless moments, she knew she could not go back to sleep.

Rising from her bedroll, she walked over to the mouth of the cavern and stared out at the slowly lightening sky. The beautiful golden and pink hues calmed her for awhile before the rushing thoughts of her family and village took over again.

The cave was empty except for her and the monk—not a soul had ever entered in a long while. Her hope of finding survivors was long dead, the conclusion settling on her shoulders the night before as they ate in silence. In her gut, she knew that no matter how much she hoped and wished, the village was gone and no one was left alive. There was too much destruction, too much death—as evidenced by the many bones scattered around the village—for there to be any survivors.

Miroku stood slowly, slightly stiff from sleeping on the cavern's rocky floor, and stared at Sango with sad eyes. He had heard the change in her breathing not long ago to know she was waking and had feigned sleep. She was ever in his mind. Outwardly, he acted like he always had—asking every woman they met to bear his child. But inwardly, he was pulled to Sango for some unknown reason.

It pained him to watch her sit, sad and alone, mourning her people with no one to turn to for comfort. Though she would spurn his actions, he none-the-less walked on silent feet to her slumped form. He knelt behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"It's okay to cry," he whispered softly. "Everyone deserves to let their grief out, no matter how strong they have been trained to be." His own griefs still pained him on his darkest hours and he never stopped himself from crying, from releasing the pent-up emotions.

Sango blinked back tears as waves of shock and sadness swept her up in a dizzying tumult. She had not expected Miroku to be so kind. Or so gentle. She turned in his arms, half falling into him, and let the dam break. His warm and inviting body the exact thing she needed.

He gently let one hand run from her head to the small of her back repeatedly, not once temping to grope her or feel her inappropriately. All he offered was the comfort of his body and his presence. At another time, in another place, he would pursue the feelings Sango invoked in him. For now, this was enough.

It took longer for Sango to calm than she thought it would. Her grief so fresh and so abundant that it did not want to leave her. But Miroku's tender care of her, his warmth and his very presence, finally stemmed the flow of her tears until they no longer wanted to fall. She mourned her father's and brother's deaths—would always mourn them—and the loss of her entire village was deep but rational thought came back to her as she basked in the comfort Miroku gave her.

Being swept away in her tears would not help her. She needed to find that bastard Naraku and make sure he paid, not only for the crimes he had committed against her, but for all his crimes. The senseless deaths and the utter carnage was unacceptable. It had to stop. And she was willing to join in that quest.

She pulled back from Miroku somewhat reluctantly. It felt good to be held by his strong arms but it was time that they packed up and made their way back to the village to meet up with Kagome and Inuyasha.

"Thank you, houshi-sama," she said wholeheartedly as Miroku helped her to her feet.

He smiled at her warmly. "You can call me Miroku if you want."

"Thank you, Mi...Miroku-sama." She blushed, his name falling from her tongue strangely right. She had never been so forward in her life to call a man so intimately by their name and not their title. Though she secretly acknowledged she would only use his proper name when it was just the two of them together.

"Anytime you need someone to lean on, I'll be here." And he meant it. Miroku didn't know why it was so important for him to let her known that she could come to him with her troubles. But it was and he hoped she would turn to him whenever the need arose—whether for comfort or just to talk.

Blushing even redder, Sango turned away in embarrassment. No one had ever offered to comfort her, to be her friend, where any secret she shared would be safe with them. She had always been expected to be strong, rational, and, to some extent, unwomanly. She gossiped with the women freely but most of them were not true friends. And Kagome was becoming a friend but it was still untested. Miroku offered her true loyalty. She knew just by his actions that anything she said or did would stay in his confidence, never made public and never used against her. It was astonishing and she couldn't think of anything to say.

Miroku smiled as he watched Sango move around their camp in a daze. He guessed she had never had someone offer to hear and take on her troubles. He had had the fortune growing up of his dear care taker to listen to his troubles. Though Mushin loved his sake, he was someone Miroku could turn to for advice and aid on the more important matters of his life.

Shaking his head to clear out his thoughts, Miroku moved to help Sango pack. It was time they headed out and saw to the new day, with or without survivors from the village.

O o O o O o O o O

Inuyasha glared at Kagome as she walked quickly ahead of him. The relief that had flooded him after realizing she was sleeping and not dead had his heart swelling with joy. He didn't know what had come over him. But before he could stop himself, he had pressed his lips to hers in a kiss of utter happiness. It just happened that at the same moment his lips gently touched her soft and inviting ones, she woke. Startled, she gasped, allowing him the perfect opportunity to sweep his tongue into her mouth and taste her completely.

It was like having cold water thrown in his face when at first she had kissed him back and then slapped him. She blushed heatedly and stammered some excuse. The shock drowned out her words. Even after an hour, he was still mad about it. His cheek, though holding no marks, tingled and inflamed his anger more. Yes, maybe he didn't have the right to kiss her while she was in an exhausted sleep but he didn't even know why he had done it! And that didn't give her the right to slap him when she kissed him back!

Inuyasha glared at the back of her head even harder. Kagome made no sense to him. His own feelings made no sense. Actually, nothing was making any damned sense! He longed for the days when he knew what he wanted and what his own mind thought. But at the same time he knew it would not satisfy him, not now. Though what had changed him was unclear.

Kagome could feel Inuyasha's furious gaze on her back and felt as if she was being mentally called by every foul name he knew. Remembering the feel of his lips, so soft and supple for a man, gently caressing her's and awakening her made her cheeks burn again. His lips had felt so good and when he swept his tongue in her mouth, she was startled to realize she liked it. But it was too fast and too soon. They didn't know each other—not like she wanted. So many questions were yet unanswered. What was his favorite food? His fondest childhood memory? How was it like to grow up as a hanyou and as Inutaisho's son?

It was partly because she wanted those questions answered and because his kiss felt so good, she wanted him to continue that she wished to push him away from her. It felt wrong to like his kiss when she didn't even understand the basics that made Inuyasha who he was. But somehow, instead of pushing him away, she had slapped him. She understood his anger and even deserved it. But how was she going to fix it?

Kagome slowed enough to walk beside him and opened her mouth to speak. She closed it again when he turned those angry golden eyes on her. His anger this time was much different than before. Much deeper and a bit scary. Then she hardened her resolve and looked him in the eye. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to slap you."

Inuyasha huffed and turned away from her, quickly putting distance between them. He was so like a child sometimes, it was infuriating! "Will you just listen to me!" Kagome yelled.

In her own growing anger, she had closed her eyes and let her hands fly above her head while walking. She ran right into Inuyasha's back as he stood in place. She would have fallen if he hadn't used his quick reflexes to steady her, their faces mere inches from each other. She stared into his eyes, noticing for the first time the many shades of yellow and golden orange that made up the beautiful color of his eyes she loved so much.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, licking her lips.

It was hard for Inuyasha to let his anger go but staring deep into Kagome's eyes, he could see she was sincere. He huffed a final time then released her. Her lips were becoming a distraction now, especially when her tongue flicked out to moisten them. He wanted to kiss her again, the feeling so strong, he had to move slightly away to stop himself.

He remembered again the kiss from earlier. It was so unlike any kiss he had ever had before. Nothing could compare. He and Kikyou had stolen a few small pecks on the cheek and, once, a decent one on her lips. But it was nothing like what he had experienced with Kagome. Nor was Kikyou responsive. She had borne his advances with a sense of polite courtesy but nothing like the glimpse of wild abandon Kagome had shared with him.

And that passion only added to the insistent tugging that drew him to her. It was not what he wanted.

"Fine," he grumbled, grudgingly acknowledging her apology. He turn and walked briskly down the dirt path.

Kagome beamed at his back. She felt ecstatic. It was a start but she had made some progress with Inuyasha just now. And if she could figure out how to make it last the rest of their lives, they could have a happy marriage.

Kagome ran to catch up with him, grabbing his hand as she settled in step with his strides. Inuyasha started, surprised she would hold his hand yet relishing the feel of her small delicately boned fingers against his. He was careful to only rest his claws against her hand so as not to hurt her.

Inuyasha could hear her humming under her breathe—a cheery tune that lifted his spirits and made him forget about his anger, for the moment at least. They continued down the path like that, comfortable for once in each other's presence, until they came within a few minutes from the village. As if embarrassed, they let go of each other's hand at the same time.

Rounding the last corner, they saw Sango's and Miroku's backs as their two companions gazed out at the wreckage of the village. Kagome blushed heatedly, glad that her two friends hadn't spied her and Inuyasha becoming so cozy. She was not yet ready for other people to know about her growing affection for him.

"I take it you didn't find anything," Kagome commented as she took the lead.

Sango turned, her heart sinking as she gazed at the two figures. "No. No one had been at the cavern. Houshi-sama and I thought that we could give the villagers a proper burial and try to salvage anything we could from the village. I know Midoriko thought something might be here to help you so we can look for that in the process."

Kagome nodded, unable to speak. She too had held a hope of finding someone alive. Silently, she and Inuyasha made their way to their two human friends. Together, the four of them started from one end of the village to the other, collecting the many scattered bones and rummaging around the burned timbers and ashes of the houses.

They skirted around Sango's house. Just looking at it made Sango queasy and heartsick with grief. The memories of her family, of their happy times together, kept her eyes watering with tears. But she would be strong, at least right now, and willed herself not to cry until after they had buried the villagers.

Sango wasn't the only one suffering. It was hard on all of them. Inuyasha hated that his kind, youkai, could cause such destruction. What hit him the hardest were the children. His own bad childhood memories swamped him, showing him again how cruel life could be to young ones who depended so much on their parents.

Humans were especially weak. They were not as strong as youkai and did not have the same instincts that drove youkai to fight if cornered—no matter how scared they were. Even hanyou, though weaker than full blooded youkai, relied on their youkai side to give them their strength and healing abilities.

To see so many children slaughtered without a fighting chance was wrong. It went against everything in nature. It made Inuyasha so angry. It was another thing he could hold against Naraku and one more thing the bastard deserved to die for.

It was already late afternoon by the time they were done collecting all the bones. Unable to identify who the villagers were and what bones belonged to what body, Sango decided that it would be acceptable to create a mass grave for them. Miroku and Inuyasha found two shovels that were half burned but still usable and worked on digging a wide enough grave. Sango and Kagome went out to the outlying forest to gather up some food. Nothing special would be cooked tonight. They didn't want to tempt fate with any type of fire.

Once they had eaten the simple meal, Miroku intoned a prayer over the bones and helped Inuyasha lay them in the grave. He continued to pray as he placed the dirt back other the grave and constructed a pile of rocks as a grave marker.

Sango finally let her tears fall. She could hold them back no longer. Even with her vision blurry, she managed to place wild flowers she had gathered in the forest along with the food on the grave. After pulling back, she crumpled to the ground. Miroku took her in his arms and comforted her. But the day's events were too much and Sango could not stop her tears now that they had started.

Kagome walked over to a clear spot in the village and rolled out Sango's bed roll. They would stay there for the night and work more in the village the next morning. Miroku carried Sango over to it and placed her gently on the soft surface. He was sad to see that she had cried herself to sleep in so short a time but it was understandable. She was exhausted from everything.

It wasn't long after that when Kagome and Miroku rolled their bed rolls out and went to sleep. Inuyasha walked around the village a few times to make sure it was safe. He then took up a position by the entrance of the village, his back against what was left of the wooden wall.

O o O o O o O o O

The bright morning sun hit Sango directly in the face. She scrunched up her face in annoyance. She didn't want to get up. Her exhausted crying last night had made her eyes puffy and her head ache. She could hear the rest of her companions doing their best to keep quiet while they went about preparing breakfast. She wished she could just turn over and go back to sleep but that would not help anyone, least of all herself.

No. Sango needed to get up and help Kagome find the mysterious piece of work that Midoriko talked about. She needed to get up and move on, one step at a time. She needed to plan for when she fought Naraku, to make sure he didn't destroy another village.

Sango took a shaky breath and sat up. "What are we having for breakfast?" she asked into the silence. Three pairs of eyes stared at her in astonishment.

"You can go back to sleep, Sango. No one will mind," Kagome spoke up.

"No. I need to get up and help you. I need to do something to help keep my mind off of this. Nothing will ever be the same and I can't spend all my time grieving. I know that. I would rather do something even remotely productive than spend all my time sleeping and crying."

Determined to prove her point, Sango stood and made her way to Kagome. Kagome gave her a smile and handed her a basket of fruit they had gathered last night. Sango went to work cutting them into even portions and taking out any seeds they could not eat.

It was silent at first. But soon, Kagome started up a conversation with Sango and Miroku sighed in relief. He had feared the grief would be too much for Sango to handle. He had seen some extreme cases were women became empty shells of themselves, only reliving the deaths of their loved ones and bemoaning the fact that they hadn't died as well. He had fervently hoped Sango would not spiral into that kind of grief stricken despair and anger. But it looked like she was going to be okay.

"I think the first place we should look for what Midoriko wants is at my house," Sango stated seriously a little after breakfast.

"Are you sure, Sango-chan?" Kagome was concerned that it would be too soon for her friend to handle going to her childhood home.

"Yes," Sango said with a nod. "I know it will be hard but if there is anything that will help you, it'll be there."

Sango stood and took the lead, wending her way past the charred remains of the houses. Her house sat in the middle of the village on a slight inclined hill. It was more devastating than Sango could have imagined. Her house was the most intact yet seeing the same places that held so many memories partially destroyed was hard. The garden in the back was slightly damaged but still held to the shape it had been planted in. The front shoji door was half burned and some patches of the roof were missing but the walls still stood and the deck for the most part was whole.

Emotion swiftly overtook Sango—anger, grief, sadness, and worst of all, loneliness. Her family would never walk through those doors again or grace the back garden, practicing their fighting techniques. She was all that was left.

Kagome came up behind Sango and rubbed her back. "It's okay. We're here for you."

Sango smiled wobbly, sniffed and squared her shoulders. They had work to do. Later, she would cry.

Sango carefully stepped onto the deck, testing how sturdy it was. Feeling safe that it would hold their wait, she made her way to the door and into the front hallway. "If there was anything from the past leaders of the Taijiya, my father would have kept it safe in his room."

Her three friends followed her as she moved on past two rooms that were very badly damaged under the caved in roof and took a left turn. Sango stood still in front of her father's room, unable to lift her hand up to push the remains of the shoji aside. She was grateful that her and Kohaku's rooms were the ones the most damaged. Her father's room, which held most of the important artifacts of their clan, was barely touched at all by the fire.

Taking a deep breath, Sango finally pulled away the broken shoji and entered. It was as he had left it. His own personal scent still lingered, though barely. She tried to think of where he hid the most important things and remembered a trap door under the tatami matting she had seen him open once as a young girl.

No longer realizing her three companions were with her, she walked as if in a swamp, her legs and feet sluggish. Her eyes stared straight at the spot the trap door was. She knelt and removed the matting. With shaky hands, Sango unlatched the lock and opened the trap door. She released a breathe she hadn't known she was holding.

Carefully, she took out and placed everything out on the floor around her. Some things she remembered. There were the papers that depicted their techniques in beautiful calligraphy. Some of the smaller ancient weapons they had used in the past. One thing surprised her.

She reverently held a necklace with an off-white iridescent spiral sea shell on it. She couldn't believe her father had kept it. He had made it for her mother on one of his trips to the coast to deal with some youkai. In a fit of rage, her father had destroyed a lot of her mother's things, unable to bear seeing them so soon after her death. But this necklace remained. Sango put the cord over her head and let the shell rest in the middle of her chest. She would wear it always.

Going back to her task, she found an old and very large leather bound scroll case. Lifting it, she felt the heavy weight and knew something was in it. Whatever it was, someone wanted it to stay well protected. Not many scrolls were deemed important enough to have their own case let alone a leather one.

Sango scooted backward a bit and held up her find to her waiting companions. "I've never seen this before but it looks important."

Kagome moved in closer and sat down. She watched with bated breath as Sango removed the lid to the case and slid out an aged bamboo scroll. It wasn't dusty and didn't appear to be in bad shape. Someone had taken good care of it.

Sango began to unroll a bit of it and stared in amazement. Her father had told her stories about the language used by her ancestors. In some of them, the language would be changed so that no one could read what was written unless they held a key. A secret code. Though she had never seen it, she believed this scroll had that coded language written on. The letters were familiar, as if their current language had been derived from the older one but it still looked foreign.

"I think this is it," Sango said, the amazement clear in her voice. "We don't use bamboo any more to write on. And my father told me stories about our ancestors and the secret messages they would write on bamboo scrolls."

Kagome felt excited. Now she would have the answer to helping Midoriko purify the Shikon no Tama that ran in her blood. She looked to Sango but when Sango didn't return the same excitement, Kagome felt a sinking in her heart.

"I can't read this," Sango said honestly. "My father told me that there were some scrolls written in a secret code that you have to have a key to figure out. I think this is one of them."

Kagome felt numb. After finding the thing that could help her, the hope was crushed in an instant because they couldn't read it. She looked up at Sango. "Do you know where the key is?"

Sango shook her head. "I was suppose to become the new leader of the Taijiya but my father never finished my training. He's showed me some of the training scrolls"—she pointed to were they rested—"so I could start to familiarize myself with them but since he was so fit, he never bothered to go farther. He wanted me to be young and carefree, if only for a while."

Sango turned back to the trap door after placing the bamboo scroll back into its case. She took out several more paper scrolls. These she never recalled seeing before. Carefully unrolling them one by one, she found her father's perfect hand writing detailing something mixed in the same language as the bamboo scroll and their own more modern language. At a quick glace, she didn't understand what it meant. It could be the key she needed, however, to read the bamboo scroll. She hoped so. It would take her time but she was confident that if it was the key to the bamboo scroll, she just needed to learn from the paper scrolls what to look for and how to read the ancient language.

Satisfied that she had found everything she could, Sango packed the scrolls into her shoulder pack. She didn't need the ancient weapons. Those were fun artifacts but not necessary. Sango stood with her pack held in front of her. She stared down at the small pieces of history that were hidden deep in her pack's depths. Some day, the training scrolls could be used again. For now, she would protect them as best as she could.

"That's it. We have every thing here." Sango looked up at her three friends. She wanted to make one last stop by the grave and say good bye but other than that, they were ready to leave.

She didn't know where she was going. She assumed Inuyasha would head back to his palace along with Kagome. Miroku hadn't said anything about where he lived. And now with her own home was in ruins, Sango wasn't sure what her life would become. But she could figure that out later, when they were closer to Inuyasha's palace.

O o O o O o O o O

Kouga paced wildly. After Inutaisho's festival, he had kept close to the palace in order to bring forth his bid to marry Kagome but his plans were ruined when he caught the mutt running away with her with a monk in tow. Was he that impatient to marry her? It seemed unlikely.

Suspicious, Kouga followed them for a good week. He wasn't sure what had caused the scent trail to vanish but it had. It was completely gone. His two subordinates, Ginta and Hakkaku, found him shortly after with a message from the Elder. The council had been called together and Kouga was expected to be there in less than a week.

Now he paced the confines of a cave deep in the mountains, itching to get back to the hunt of finding Kagome. He fell still as the Elder, a stooped old man dressed in ragged robes with wiry hair has as white as snow, walked in. Beside him strode a young woman. Her hair shone a deep coppery red and her eyes held emerald fire. She was dressed in feminine armor and white wolf pelts that clearly stated her status as a Princess of the Ookami. Yet he had never seen her before. Which was unusual considering that he was named Prince to his parents clan on their death five years ago.

Kouga tried to stop starring at the young woman while the others that made up the council filed in after them. Their society was based on pack law. The Elder held the reigning power but since the Elder could not be everywhere at once, Princes and Princesses of the Ookami were named to govern each individual clan. Princes and Princesses were asked together in council meetings to discuss issues between the clans or if an enemy threatened them all. Kouga had no clue why the council was being called now. No new enemy was present. And the last dispute among the clans had been settle the year before.

Taking his place opposite the Elder, Kouga sat along with the other council members. He took note that the young woman sat next to the Elder. That was also unusual.

"I've called you all here today to announce the marriage of my granddaughter," the Elder paused. He stared down at them all while the woman looked at Kouga.

Kouga had no clue why. He felt as if he should know where this was going.

"Ayame," the Elder called and looked to the young woman.

Kouga stilled. Her named sounded familiar. It rattled in his mind like echoing footsteps.

"As is dictated by the marriage contract, now that you have completed your training and are my successor, you and Kouga shall be wed."

Kouga stilled. His breathing stopped and blood pounded incessantly in his ears. Wed? Him? To her? No! He was to wed Kagome!

"You will not," the Elder boomed. It was then that Kouga realized he had spoken his protests aloud. Embarrassed, Kouga settled down and became silent.

The Elder continued. "Your parents signed the contract with me when you were still a pup and Ayame still a babe. It was official and will be honored no matter who this Kagome is. Ayame is your intended bride as she has been most of your life. I cannot believe you have forgotten her."

Ayame stared at him with anger. She couldn't believe he didn't remember his responsibility! They may not have ever met but it was their parents wish to have them marry and continue to bring new and strong pups into the world, to better their people's bloodlines. He could not back out now!

"I-I can't!" Kouga stammered. He stood in agitation. "Higurashi Kagome is the one I want to marry. She's the perfect mate for me."

The Elder blinked. "Higurashi?" he asked in confusion.

"Hai. Higurashi, the royal house of Avaren. They are alive. I met them at Inutaisho's festival. I want to marry Kagome, the young daughter who is the true heir to the kingdom."

The Elder silenced him with a look. "The Higurashi clan is human. You cannot marry a human. It is against our laws. Our very nature. No, you will marry Ayame in a months' time. That is why I called the council. We need to prepare for the wedding and your succession as mate to the new Elder. You are young and brash but you will eventually thank me for this."

Kouga felt stunned. He had forgotten about his betrothal contract to the young Princess all those years ago. His parents' sudden death had left him grief stricken. His new duties as Prince was all that kept him from succumbing to it. Whether parent, child, spouse or friend, the Ookami held close ties to everyone. When one died, grief became a very powerful emotion.

He had to honor the marriage contract. For now. Kouga decided to protest as much as he could and seek Kagome out to further his claim. He hoped he could get away that long. Though with the way the Elder stared at him, leaving for more than a day may not be possible.

The Elder motioned him forward and Kouga was obliged to sit down with him and Ayame to discuss their wedding.


	11. Chapter 10: Honor Bound

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. The good Takahashi Rumiko has gifted us with such astounding characters.

Author's Note: I want to say thank you to all of you who have continued to read this story and have put me on their favorite author's list/alert list. I really appreciate it and am glad to see so many people who are interested in my story. And now here's Chapter 10. It's taken me a week to write it all out due to my busy schedule but I'm glad with the way it turned out. I also know how Chapter 11 will go even though I have only just finished Chapter 10 so be on the look out for it. I'm hoping to get it started this coming week.

Definitions:

Zori – flat and thonged Japanese sandals made of rice straw or other plant fibers, cloth, lacquered wood, leather, rubber, or synthetic materials. Zori are quite similar to flip-flops, which first appeared in New Zealand and the United States sometime around World War II as rubber imitations of the wooden thong sandals long worn in Japan.

**Spellbound Destiny**

**Chapter 10: Honor Bound**

_Two weeks later_

Kouga paced a safe distance from Inutaisho's palace. It was midday already and he had yet to catch a glimpse of Kagome or Inuyasha. Which meant that they may not have returned from wherever they had gone. Or they just weren't going outside the palace grounds. He didn't know how loner he could wait before he was called back.

It had been hard hard but he had finally gotten away from all the wedding preparations. The Elder and Ayame, and the rest of the council for that matter, had strongly objected to his leaving. They suspected Kouga would go straight to Inutaisho's palace and he did.

Now his frustration grew as the hours ticked by and there were no signs of his prey. He hoped he wasn't too late. Inuyasha couldn't have married Kagome yet. Their wedding wasn't a rushed affair, not like the shame of a wedding the Elder had pressured Kouga into. Which he still protested loudly. There was no way he was going to marry that red haired beauty! Never!

Kouga glared at the front gates of the palace, the two stoic guards still pillars of silence unable to answer the questions burning in his mind. If he could stake his claim and resolve this without Inutaisho or Lady Izayoi interfering, he could bypass the legal formalities in dissolving Kagome's current betrothal contract and leave those details to Inuyasha. It was no secret that he did not wish to marry her. Now if only they would just walk into his line of sight, he could confront them.

Kouga turned, about to pace back in the other direction when a glint of silver and a hint of red caught his eye. He ran over to the corner of his hill and stared in relief as Inuyasha and Kagome walked hurriedly down the path to the front gates. Behind them was the monk and another human woman he had never seen before.

Kouga didn't care who followed them. He stepped out of the shade and ran after his prey. He hoped his fast legs would allow him to reach them before they came insight of the guards.

O o O o O o O o O

Inuyasha was glad to see the palace in sight. He pushed hard for them to make it back from the Taijiya village quickly so they could fully study the bamboo scroll. He knew his companions were tired but he didn't regret the fast pace. A day of rest and then they could use his father's library to help decipher the code and the foreign language. The sooner they gained information on the Shikon no Tama, the better.

He slowed slightly, catching the strangest scent of wolves. Wrinkling his nose, Inuyasha came to a stop and glanced around, trying to discern where the scent was coming from. There was just enough wind blowing in several directions to mask the true source of the scent. Turning, he saw a blur rush out of a patch of trees. It stopped in front of Kagome. Inuyasha was stunned into silence as the intruder grabbed her hands in his own.

"Kagome," the intruder said adoringly.

"Kouga!" Kagome was stunned. She had not expected him to show up. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to stop this mutt"—Kouga glared at Inuyasha—"from marrying you. You're _my_ woman."

Inuyasha fumed. "Who are you calling a mutt, ookami? And you stink, too."

Kouga ignored him. He watched Kagome closely for the happiness that would transform her face. He was slightly stung that instead, annoyance clouded her face.

"Kouga, I'm not marrying you." Kagome pulled her hands out of Kouga's grasp and backed away from him slightly.

"You don't have to force yourself to marry him. Come with me. I can give you the army you need and protection and anything else you want!" Kouga pleaded. His hands moved to emphasis his points, striking the air in front of her and almost hitting her breasts.

Kagome shook her head. She didn't know how much clearer she could be. "No, I'm marring Inuyasha."

Desperate, Kouga pulled her closer and stunned them all by leaning in and kissing her. He put all his feelings into it, trying to force her to feel everything he felt. Hope of their future together, the passion he felt for her and the strange need to have her. It was so unlike anything he had every felt before. Yet it wasn't as strong now as it was when he had first seen her over a month ago at the festival. He eventually raised his hands up to cradle the back of her head in an attempt to deepen the kiss.

Kagome, too shocked at first to verbally protest, regained her senses quickly as his hands buried into her hair. Infuriated that he would take such liberties, Kagome pulled back sharply and slapped him before Kouga had the chance to twist his slimy tongue into her mouth. It felt gross. Sickening. Wrong! This was not the kiss she wanted!

Taken aback, Kouga turned his head back to look at her. Kagome stood with her hands balled at her sides, her face red in embarrassment and anger flashing in her expressive eyes. He heard growling behind him and instinctively knew it was Inuyasha. But his mind was sluggish. He could care less about the hanyou. Instead, every thought centered on Kagome. He couldn't believe she had slapped him. Wasn't he saving her from marring that hanyou bastard? It made no sense.

"Leave, you damned wolf," Inuyasha bit out through clenched teeth. He wanted to tear Kouga apart. Kagome was his! His to kiss, his to hold and his to marry. His possessiveness didn't even register in his mind as he took a step to separate the two.

Kouga ignored him and focused on Kagome. He moved as if to touch her. She pulled away.

Kagome felt so angry, she couldn't speak. Kouga's kiss felt so different from Inuyasha's. It was not the kiss she imagined receiving for the rest of her life. Kouga was a nice enough guy but he was extremely possessive and not in a good way. She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that he wouldn't allow her live the way she wanted. He had an obsessive nature to control everything, to force compliance and bend people to his will—even if unintentionally. And that trait of his didn't help. She wasn't strong or patient enough to deal with him.

He was also dense. Yes, she had been somewhat interested in him at the festival but not because she was attracted to him. At the time, she had thought she could live with him for the rest of her life. Now, things were different. The was no place for Kouga in her heart or her life. She was betrothed to Inuyasha and actually looked forward to their marriage. She cared for the hanyou.

Cared for him? The realization startled her a bit before she was brought back to the present. Later, she would explore what that meant. For now, the attention was taken off her as two ookami came running up to them.

Kouga turned to his two subordinates. "Ginta, Hakkaku, I told you to stay at the den."

Ginta looked up, out of breathe. "We...came...as soon as we could."

"It's...the Elder," Hakkaku chimed in.

Kouga paled. That wasn't good. If the elder was upset with him for being gone so long, Kouga didn't know what the consequences would be. No one defied the Elder.

Ginta opened his mouth to speak again but Kouga cut him off. "Not now. We need to get back." He turned and, without checking to see if his two subordinates were following, headed out of Kisashi at top speeds.

Ginta and Hakkaku turned and nodded respectfully to the four strangers Kouga had been conversing with and followed after their leader at a much slower pace. They hated the fact that their leader was renowned for his speed. They were never able to catch up with him.

Inuyasha stared after them, growling silently until their retreating backs were no longer visible. He turned and stormed down the rest of the path to the palace's front gates, leaving the other three to either stand still or follow him. He wasn't in the mood to cater to anyone else's feelings. He just wanted to get inside where he could try to obliterate the image of Kouga kissing Kagome from his mind.

The guards let him through without an issue, throwing each other strange looks when Inuyasha was out of sight. It was not their place to get into the affairs of the royals. Neither of them had been born fifty years ago before Inuyasha was sealed. They didn't understand his personality, especially since his parents were so nice and gracious and friendly. Inutaisho and Lady Izayoi never acted with a hot temper, at least not in front of them or the other servants. They turned back to their posts once they closed the gates. Their orders were to let no one other than Inuyasha, and whom ever was with him, inside the palace. The gates were to remain closed at all other times.

Inuyasha halted suddenly when he realized his father stood in his way. The incident with Kouga allowed Inuyasha's scent to reach Inutaisho and send him hurriedly walking to the front gates. Kagome took up her position next to him.

Sango and Miroku stopped several paces behind them to give them a bit of privacy. Miroku wasn't all that concerned but Sango couldn't help but stare at the great Inutaisho. She remembered all the stories about him and even saw a few paintings of his likeness once. Inutaisho held himself calmly with a regal air. Only his eyes, which shone brighter than Inuyasha's, showed his anger and worry. Sango wasn't sure what to expect from him. Would he act like Inuyasha with a hot temper? Yell at them? Curse them?

Her thoughts did not prepare her for the softly spoken words he intoned through clenched teeth. "Await me in my chamber."

Inuyasha gulped. He had expected his father to be angry but not this angry. Part of his own temper stemmed from Inutaisho. Unlike him, his father had learned over the centuries to control it and not let it hinder him. Inuyasha was too young yet to fully understand what his father had been through all those years or what his father's life was like.

Now, Inutaisho's temper flared red hot and if it was possible, it would have flayed Inuyasha alive. Inuyasha obeyed without question. He didn't want his father to berate him in the middle of the palace grounds for leaving like he had. He heard Kagome follow close behind him. The thought of her by his side gladdened his heart.

Sango made to follow but Miroku stopped her with a hand on her arm. She turned to him, puzzled.

Miroku shook his heard. "Let them deal with it." He guided Sango down a side pathway to the kitchen entrance. "We can wait here and get something to eat."

Inutaisho watched his son and future daughter-in-law enter the palace before following them. His immediate emotions where a tangled mess. He felt utter relief and joy that they were alive and well. His anger quickly replaced them. He was livid that his son left home without telling anyone. And the worry Izayoi suffered upon learning her son couldn't be found that day was inexcusable. His own worry was pushed to the back of his mind for the moment. He needed to let his son know he could not just up and leave whenever he wanted.

Inutaisho walked into his chamber only a few short moments after Inuyasha and Kagome. They sat with some distance between each other opposite to where Izayoi and Mitsuko sat. Inutaisho decided it was best not to sit and instead stood in the center of the room. Inuyasha wouldn't look at him.

"I cannot understand..." Inutaisho paused, at a lose for words. Nothing seemed to express his current state of mind. He settle with saying what was in his heart. To bare his emotions out for them all to see. Even if that meant he yelled in the end. "How could you leave without telling us," he intoned irately, surprised his voice had stayed at a normal level. He gestured over to Izayoi. "How could you put your mother through days and days of worry?"

Inutaisho paced at his son's continued silence. "How could you take Kagome-san with you? Without telling _her_ mother? Mitsuko-san was in near tears when neither of you could be found!"

Kagome looked up at her mother. Her face was pale and her eyes were red and swollen. She had been in tears. "I'm sorry mama." She glanced over at Inuyasha. His ears where pinned to his head and he was silent, brooding. He obviously didn't want to talk so she stepped in. She turned back to the adults in the room. "He didn't take me because he wanted to. I wanted to go with him and wouldn't take no for an answer. I forgot to tell you we were leaving because we left in such a hurry."

Inutaisho paced the length of the room, unable to keep still. If he didn't move, he was afraid he would end up hurting Inuyasha. And that was something he could not live with. No parent should harm their child, for any reason. His anger was great but he could control it.

On his third trip back to the door, Inutaisho stopped abruptly in line with Inuyasha. "I can only image you didn't tell us because you thought we would stop you, and your right about that." He lifted a hand to his forehead and rubbed it. Though youkai didn't often get sick, his worrying and anger was taking its toll on him. A small insistent headache was forming right between his eyes. Ignoring it for now and trying to force himself to calm down, he continued, "But if you had just come to me, I would have given you Tessaiga to protect you if I could not persuade you from leaving."

Inuyasha jerked to attention at that. It was understood by the whole family that Tessaiga and Tenseiga were only to be given to Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru respectively upon their father's death. Inuyasha's eyes riveted on his father's figure, noticing for the first time that he carried only two katana and not three. Tessaiga rested in its scabbard on his left hip and slung across his back was Sounga. Tenseiga was not in his possession.

"Sesshoumaru received Tenseiga before he left to fight at the border. I have no use for it being here in Kisashi. Though I am angry with you for leaving without letting any of us know, now that you are awake, it is time that you also receive your birth right."

Inuyasha couldn't speak. His throat closed up with emotions he didn't want to face. He was sorry he had made them worry but he did it because if his father knew he was going to Aniri to find out about Kikyou, Inutaisho would have forbade him. The only choice he had was to not tell them.

Inutaisho gently removed Tessaiga from it's place on his left hip and walked over to his son. Inuyasha stood, his eyes expressing what he couldn't say aloud. Inutaisho accepted his unspoken apology and passed Tessaiga into his son's hands. Inuyasha grasped it reverently, awed by the weight and feel of the renowned katana.

"It will take time for you to use its full power but be patient and use it to protect those you love." Inutaisho watched his son closely. He waited until his son looked back up. "Just tell me one thing, did you learn what you wanted?"

Inuyasha knew what his father was asking. Did he learn what had happened to Kikyou? "Hai, I did."

Inutaisho nodded solemnly and turned to face his wife. It was not their place to ask what their son had found nor how Inuyasha was coping with that information—what he planned to do. When the time came, Inuyasha would act as he saw fit. Though Inutaisho had a sinking suspicion that Naraku was involved somehow. That bastard was always involved now-a-days. It wouldn't surprise him to learn if Naraku's plans were just beginning fifty years ago.

"Come, koishii. Let's leave Mitsuko-san and Kagome-san alone for a moment." He headed for the shoji door, following his wife after she glanced at Inuyasha. "Are you coming, Inuyasha?" he threw over his shoulder.

Inuyasha looked up at his parents then at Kagome. She smiled at him, somewhat reluctant to let him leave but she needed to talk to her mother alone. "It's okay. You can go."

Inuyasha carefully took Tessaiga and left her with her mother, saddened that she didn't want him with her for this. It did give him time to get acquainted with his new katana. Before now, he had never touched it. Only looked at it on his father's hip or heard tails about the many feats it could do and seen the many paintings around the palace depicting those feats.

Once they were alone, Kagome moved to sit next to her mother. She clasped one of her mother's hands in her's and placed it on her knee. "Please don't be mad at me. I really am sorry I left without telling you."

Mitsuko smiled wanly. "It's okay. I was upset and very worried but I'm not angry with you anymore. I'm just glad you're safe. Where did you go?"

"Aniri." Kagome went on to explain why they were there and whom Inuyasha wanted to find. Her mother's eyes became wide, shocked as Kagome told her about Kaede—her long lost relative. She went on to tell her mother about Sango and the Taijiya village. How Naraku had attacked them. She left out, as her promise dictated, the part in the cavern with Inuyasha's human transformation.

By the time she was done, her mother looked as if she could not take any more, the information swamping her mind too unreal. Yuichi never knew about his father's cousins or the black history between themselves and Inutaisho's family. And of course her father-in-law talked about the Shikon no Tama but as a fable, not something that really existed. It wasn't as big of a shock that her daughter possessed miko powers. That she had learned from the time her daughter was a small child. But the scope of her powers and the fact they were enhanced by the Shikon no Tama that resided in her very blood was hard to comprehend.

Would her daughter survive long enough to take back Avaren? Would she be able to have children? Would they be deformed in some way because of the power her daughter held? So many other questions ran through her mind that a headache started to form.

Kagome brought her back to the present by squeezing her hand. "It's okay, mama. I'm fine."

"But for how long?" her mother asked, concerned. "This spirit, Midoriko, never said how long you could live like this. If it is even possible for you to live like this. She said you would have to purify her and the youkai she held trapped within your body. It's not natural to have those creatures inside you."

"Mama, calm down," Kagome chided. It was no use having her mother worked up about what they could not control. "She never said anything about the Shikon no Tama harming me. Just that she and the youkai will have to be purified at some point. I don't know how or when that will happen or what affects it will have on me but I am fine right now. If it becomes a problem, we'll worry about it then."

Mitsuko stared at her daughter. Her calm demeanor and her actions were so different than what she was used to. In the little over a month she had been gone, Kagome had matured. She was now a young woman, capable of making her own decisions and acting as she wished. She seemed wiser though how that could be possible in so little time was hard for Mitsuko to understand. Still, if Kagome didn't believe her life was in danger, it did neither of them any good for Mitsuko to worry.

"Alright," Mitsuko said with a small smile. She lifted her hands up to cradle Kagome's face. "Just promise me that you wont go running off any more without telling me." Kagome nodded. "And if anything strange starts to happen to you, don't hide it. I mean it. I don't want to find you collapsed somewhere here in the palace for hours before anyone could find you because you didn't tell us you weren't feeling well."

"I wont hide that, I promise."

"Good."

They were startled out of their private conversation by a scratching at the shoji door. "Come in," Mitsuko called.

A female servant opened the door and bowed in greeting. "Dinner is ready, Hime-sama, Higurashi-sama," she called out to them then left, closing the door behind her.

"I hadn't realized how late it was," Mitsuko commented to no one in particular.

Kagome sat starring at the closed door. It was hard for her to get used to the servants addressing her as their Hime. Ever since her betrothal to Inuyasha was made public, they changed the way they acted around her. Instead of the respectful distance that a guest of their lord received, she was now accepted by most of the staff as part of the family and was afforded the same caring intent they gave to their ruler and his family.

Without any conscious thought, Kagome stood and followed her mother down to the dinning room. They entered one that wasn't as formal as the main dinning hall the festival had taken place in. She was startled to see that two extra place settings had been arranged and even more confused when Sango and Miroku walked in a few short minutes after her.

"Inuyasha told us about your two friends you found on your journey and I've offered them a place here for the time being. They have offered their services in the battle with Naraku. Anyone who is against him is an ally." Inutaisho seemed to have read her mind as he answered her questioning look.

Kagome shot a grateful look Inuyasha's way but he didn't seem to notice. He was quiet and as dinner progressed, she noticed he barely spoke more than a word or two—usually to ask for more food—and left as soon as he was done eating. She wanted to follow him, to see what was wrong. He was never so quiet unless he was angry. But tonight, the anger was gone and he seemed calm for once.

Instead of going after him, Kagome stayed by her mother's side, afraid her presence wouldn't be welcomed by Inuyasha yet. She talked with Lady Izayoi about her journey with Sango to get her mind off the hanyou and even shared the fascinating concoction Sango called soap. Lady Izayoi was most interested in the cleaning bar and asked Sango to make some for her own personal use.

Sango was flattered, blushing heatedly. Soap making was imparted to every woman of her village so when her husband came home dirty with dried blood and grime from youkai fighting, the wife could offer a relaxing bath with something that would get him clean. Lady Izayoi was making a big deal out of such a skill. But, Sango guessed, to someone outside her village, the skill was quite unique.

"Well," Inutaisho interrupted everyone's thoughts. "It's getting late and I can see how tired our guests are. I think it's time we let them go."

Kagome stood gratefully. She _was_ tired but more importantly, she was eager to see Inuyasha and worried about how he was taking the day's events. Her mother followed her out and down to their room and helped her dress in a simple cream colored sleeping yukata. She chatted aimlessly but Kagome couldn't concentrate on her words. She itched to go and explore the gardens for Inuyasha. She wasn't sure how she knew it but she was positive that he had secluded himself up in one of the many trees outside. The question was which one.

Seeing her daughter's distraction, Mitsuko finished up with brushing Kagome's hair in silence. Something was on her daughter's mind that made it hard for Kagome to concentrated on anything else. Mitsuko was just glad to have her back and basked in the feel of her hands running through her daughter's silky hair, the touch of her skin against Mitsuko's hands and knowing she was real—not a dream. So many nights had passed where Mitsuko would awaken in a cold sweat, dark bloody visions of her daughter's death pervading her mind. Too many of them mirrored the night Yuichi was killed. Now her heart was at ease and she hoped the visions never returned.

"Alright, I'll leave you now, Kagome. I know you haven't been listening to me chatter on and on." Mitsuko turned Kagome in her arms and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well."

Kagome watched her mother leave before she stood. With deft fingers, she braided her untangled hair over her right shoulder and found a pair of straw zori to slip on her feet. She looked again at the main shoji, hoping her mother wouldn't return soon, and then headed for the garden shoji. She slid it open quietly and stepped out into the cool night air.

Her nerves started to fray as she became more aware of what she was doing. They would be alone, like in the cavern, and no one would know if they kissed again. The thought stirred her heart into thumping wildly and her body warmed. An insistent tugging pulled deep in her stomach. She felt excited at meeting him alone, talking with him alone and just being near him.

Getting back to her task, Kagome scanned the trees in her private garden, hoping to see Inuyasha's familiar red and silver figure but knowing he wouldn't be there. Her need to stay clear of him that first week and the chaos of the questions today had made her forget to ask where his private chamber was. She doubted his favorite tree would be anywhere near her. It was more likely his favorite tree was outside in his own private garden. She just had to find it.

Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She focused on her senses, waiting for some small inkling of which direction to take. Something tugged at her over on the right. The feeling grew as she focused more. Warmth flooded her mind, settling cozily like a blanket. She smiled. It was Inuyasha. His very essence encircled her in phantom arms, protecting her and keeping her safe.

Her feet moved without conscious thought—taking her to him. Her eyes remained closed as she felt with her mind his presence growing stronger with each passing step. When she was only a few feet away from him, she opened her eyes to gaze at his back. His beautiful silver hair blew in the breeze. The moonlight caused it to glow like a beacon calling to her.

Kagome walked silently to the tree and sat at its base, uncaring of the dirt and grass that would stain her sleeping yukata. It didn't matter—at least not to her. She bent her head back against the tree and breathed in the fresh night air, waiting for Inuyasha to come down. He knew she was there. His superior hearing and sense of smell allowed him to track her every move from the time she came into his side of the palace. She wasn't going to push him to come down. He needed to do it on his own—to open up to her if he so wished.

Inuyasha stared at Tessaiga. Its weight settled in his hands like a stone. He had already unsheathed it several times but the katana refused to transform into its true self. It was pathetic. His father had finally given him the heirloom he was destined to have and now Inuyasha couldn't make the damn thing show itself.

His ears twitched and his nose picked up a very tempting scent. Kagome. He didn't acknowledge her as she moved in and sat under his tree. He didn't want to talk yet. Too much was going through his mind. He still couldn't believe he held Tessaiga in his hands, gifted to him by his father _before_ his father was dead. The fighting he and Sesshoumaru had done all those years ago—which felt like yesterday to him—no longer mattered. He held the famed Tessaiga, the katana that could kill a hundred youkai in one sweep of the transformed blade, and it felt...disappointing. He could not figure out how to get it to work.

Frustrated, Inuyasha allowed the last bit of the blade to slide back into the sheath. It clicked softly when the hand guard hit the wooden edge. He slipped the katana into the left side strap at his waist and jumped down. On silent feet, he moved to Kagome's side and sat next to her.

She broke the silence. "They were very worried about you. Your parents, I mean." She paused to look at his profile. He remained still and silent. He was brooding. "I thought you had told them you were leaving. I know I would want to know if my son was leaving for a long period of time after he had been taken away from me once already."

Inuyasha looked at her, turning his head so quickly his hair covered half his face for a few seconds. He wanted to be angry but he couldn't. She was right. He didn't want to admit it aloud. And he didn't have to. Kagome herself distracted him from her comment.

"May I see your katana?" she asked hopefully. Her eyes stared into his with such pleading he couldn't say no.

"Here." He handed her the sheath gingerly. He was amazed when she actually took the blade out. No one but hos father, and now himself, could remove it. Sesshoumaru had proved he could wield it but only _after_ it was out of the sheath.

Kagome stared in wonder. Tessaiga was so much heavier than her own katana. She wasn't sure what it was made of. The ragged edge and the rust on the blade told a story of neglect yet the loving way both Inuyasha and Inutaisho touched it said that it was a greatly loved weapon. It was contradicting. She balanced Tessaiga in her hands, figuring out how it would be held then placed it back in its sheath and handed it back.

"It's suppose to transform," Inuyasha quietly commented as he grasped the katana and held it in his lap.

"Transform?"

He nodded. "You've seen some paintings of it around the palace. A giant katana with a tuft of white fir over the guard. It, like it's sister Tenseiga, was made out of one of my father's fangs. That's why it's so heavy. My father's blood gives it life."

"But you can't make it transform," she stated matter-of-factly.

He shook his head and pounded the ground with a closed fist, frustrated. "No."

"We'll figure it out." Kagome grasped Inuyasha's fist and watched the small cuts heal almost instantly. It still amazed her that he could heal so fast.

He looked at her skeptically. How the hell could she possibly figure out how to transform the katana when he couldn't? She was human—a very attractive human—but a human none-the-less with no hint of youkai blood. She could not call out to the katana and make it transform. Not that he could either. But that was beside the point! He had no knowledge of the katana and his father wouldn't impart any other advice to him than what he said this afternoon. _Be patient and use it to protect those you love._ What did that mean?

Inuyasha was distracted by Kagome's body. She leaned her head against his shoulder. It startled him. Why was she getting so close? He stared at her head, willing her to turn it so he could look into her eyes and read her thoughts. She did, almost as if reading his mind. Her beautiful brown eyes held happiness and comfort.

"We'll figure it, somehow. I promise. You wont be alone in this or anything else, if you'll let me stay by your side."

Inuyasha swallowed hard. He couldn't get rid of the lump that had formed. She wanted to be with him—a lowly hanyou? Without any restrictions? He nodded, unable to do anything else.

His frustration evaporated for the moment in the face of her words. Could he allow himself to believe them? Yes, yes he could. He was willing to tale the chance. Kagome had never lied to him. She was kindhearted and truly seemed to care about him. He didn't want to think too deeply yet about that but for now, he liked the idea of her being with him—helping him

Satisfied, Kagome buried her head deeper into his shoulder, loving the feel of his silken hair against her cheek. It felt perfect. Kissing him would have been great but just sitting with him, listening to some of his problems made her feel like she was becoming part of his life. Finally. He was letting go of his tight guard on himself. It was worth the trip outside.

"Arigatou," she heard him whisper softly. She smiled secretively. He hadn't meant for her to hear him, talking so low she wasn't even sure herself how she heard. But she had and it made butterflies dance in her stomach.

Inuyasha felt wholly relaxed. A small comforting presence settled in the back of his mind, lulling him into a dreamy half awake state. He felt at peace here with Kagome in his little garden. His problems floated away. And soon, the two of them were asleep, side-by-side with their heads nestled against each other.

That was how Inutaisho found them. The great inu youkai couldn't help but smile. No matter how much his son protested, Kagome was already inserting herself into his very being—much the same way Izayoi had done to him all those long years ago.

Inutaisho turned and left quietly with a shake of his head. Izayoi had been right. Kagome was just what their son needed. Maybe after this little intimate moment, Inuyasha wouldn't be so gruff. Only time could tell. He hoped to watch every moment of their lives as he could and protect for as long as he was able. If only Sesshoumaru would relent and find a mate too.

O o O o O o O o O

Kouga stood at the summit of the mountain den, barely winded. His two subordinates were way behind him but he didn't care. A summons from the Elder was urgent business, regardless of what it was about. Taking a deep breath, he plunged ahead, eager to get it over with and go back to Kagome.

He almost missed the first sign, so subtle, no one but the best of trackers would have found it. A faint whiff of something sickly sweet and metallic hit his nose. Blood. He still had an hour to go before he reached the top but he sped up, his heart pounding at what that could mean. Regardless, it didn't bode well. There had to be a lot of blood for him to smell it so far down the mountain.

Racing to the top, he cleared the last bit of congested foliage and stopped dead in his tracks. His skin paled to a deathly white and his eyes blurred—he was shocked. Bodies of friends and comrades were scattered from where he stood to beyond his sight in the den. One body was just a few steps away from him. The arm was outstretched in an attempt to grab the weapon that lay only a hand's-breadth from him. His stomach held several deep wounds but nothing was as bad as his slit throat. It was cut cleanly and deep, allowing for the maximum amount of blood to be spilled.

Walking amongst his fallen brethren, Kouga noticed they all shared that one common feature. Each one's throat was cut deep with some sort of very sharp edge that allowed for massive blood loss. The smell become more and more abrasive against his sensitive nose. He almost became sick but held his will over his own body. He needed to find survivors, not wallow in his own vomit.

Finally at the entrance, Kouga stilled. "Is anyone there?" he shouted and listened. A soft whimpering echoed back to him.

Careful not to disturb the bodies, he made his way inside. Close to the back of the den, Kouga noticed the Elder on the ground. He moved slightly and Kouga jumped to help him up only to discover that the Elder, too, was dead. Sickened, Kouga placed the Elder off to the side and bent on one knee to discover what was under him. It was a hole.

A bright patch of red peeked out and he could barely make out very bright and wide green eyes. "Oh, Kami-sama!"

At Kouga's shout, Ayame lifted her head all the way out and placed her hands on the edge of the hole. Kouga immediately moved to help her, pulling her up with little effort while ignoring the blood that covered her almost from head to toe. He cradled her pale form in his arms, rubbing her back and whispering words in her ear. He didn't care if blood soaked into his armor and furs. She needed him.

Ayame pulled back slightly, rubbing her eyes and composing herself. "I'm fine now. Really."

Kouga didn't want to let her go but she was now his leader. They weren't mates yet since the wedding was still two weeks away. He had no right to help her emotionally. _Besides, I don't want to_, he mentally berated himself. Turning back to the elder, he examined the body and took in every last detail.

"What happened?" he asked without turning to face her.

Ayame took a shuddering breath and looked over at the Elder. "We had wolves posted at the boundaries. They came running in with news of an intruder. No one expected them to come so quickly, barely a half hour after the wolves had warned us. It wasn't enough time. I helped all the women and children escape and was already on my way back here to convince the Elder to leave too when they came. Three of them. They smelled like death and decaying flesh even though they were alive. They wanted to see blood. That's all they cared about. The Elder through me down that hole and then stopped them from seeing it. On his last dying breathe, he crawled over and covered the hole with his body, protecting me."

Kouga growled menacingly. The blood all over her wasn't her own, it was the Elder's. Ayame had been helpless to save him trapped as she was under his dying body. "Did they say anything?"

Ayame shook her head. "It was strange. They didn't talk at all. Only strange unintelligible noises. And...and they had the same exact red glowing eyes. They weren't related. One was a bear youkai, one was a snake and the last was a kitsune."

Kouga nodded and stood up. "For now, clean yourself up and go to the women. Take them to one of the other den sites. Ginta and Hakkaku will be hear shortly and I'll send up a call for the rest of the ookami to come."

"But I need to be here," she protested.

"No, you need to calm the women and the children. When I know who is alive and who is dead, I'll come for you. Just stay at the other den with them."

Ayame reluctantly left Kouga to his gruesome task. She wanted to help, as was her duty, but she was also thankful she wouldn't have to move the dead bodies. She couldn't handle that too. The blood that drenched her made her queasy and the remembered sight of the Elder's dead body over the hole, suffocating her with the noxious scent of death, made her want to scrub every patch of skin and orifice until she was rubbed raw.

Kouga let her go even though his instincts screamed at him to follow her and comfort her. Now was not the time. As they would become the leaders, the ones their friends and family looked up too, they had to be strong for their pack. He exited the den and sent up a howl. Wolves raced from their hiding places from the surrounding areas and were sent to the more distant clan members with the message of the slaughter.

He turned back to the den, his mind going numb, as Ginta and Hakkaku ran up. He ordered them tersely to help him pile up the dead. In the process, Kouga took in every man's face and name—if he knew them—and vowed to learn the names of those he didn't. He would never forget this. Nor would Ayame.

Ayame's face came back to him, haunted as it was when he had taken her out of the hole. His throat closed up at the thought of her hurt in any way. His mind became a buzzing beehive of thoughts. They would not be mated right away. First they would mourn their dead then Ayame would become the new Elder. After that, they would marry and become mates. There was no getting around that fact now. Nor did he want to anymore. On his honor, he swore he would use his new position to not only protect her and the clan but to find the bastards who slaughtered their family. He would use any means necessary to find the killers, even if he had to join Inuyasha's group. The thought left a bad taste in his mouth but he would do it.


End file.
